Posted by alexandra_k on April 5, 2020, at 21:35:55
In reply to Re: NZ prime minister, posted by beckett2 on April 5, 2020, at 3:33:33
> But like you say, once moist, they don't work. Do you know if drying them in sunshine helps, or is the electrostatic property shot?
I don't know if they don't work once they are moist or if they are just umpleasant to wear. I don't know how often you were supposed to change them. Were you supposed to change them every 4 hours once they did get wet? I don't know. I've never used one.
I just had one I brought from a pharmacy that isn't rated as anything at all... I don't know the quality of the fabric or whatever. It doesn't form a perfect seal -- but it actually does sit pretty tight. And it is hard to breathe through. So I think it is actually a pretty good quality mask, actually. It gets very wet inside very quickly. I imagine it would get wetter inside even more quickly if it formed a perfect seal the way the N95 masks are supposed to.
Duke is doing experiments on how to steralise them / re-use them.
Seems that the filtration surface fabric is delicate and it actually does deteriorate / disintegrate if you aren't careful with it.
I have seen a few places (seemingly most reputable) saying to dry them out in the sun-shine (UV light) if you need to re-use them.
I don't think anybody thinks it is ideal to re-use them becuase the filtration surface is fragile. But if you have to it seems less mechanically stressful on the fabric than rubbing them with sanitisers etc.
But then I guess there would be worries with bacteria from the individual who was wearing them on the inside surface. I wouldn't want to store a re-used mask with my co-workers where the inside surface and outside surface were all hanging out together en masse. I'd rather my own mask hang out on my own washing line at home.
They do reckon that often sunshine is the best disinfectant. But there often isn't much sunshine in the wintertime.
I don't know.
I see 3M has been directed to supply the US instead of looking to make money off of exports.
That makes sense. Especially since the 3M production bottle-neck seems to be import of the fabric from China.
Worries about quality control issues, now, I think.
I heard there was a shipment that was sent back from someplace in Europe) because they couldn't get a seal.
I don't know that anybody was doing the fit-tests that they were supposed to do before, though...
I suppose this is a better use to put medicine than figuring how to beat the drug tests for the Olympics or how to sell increasingly sophisticated electronic stethescopes to rich people off-shore...
A re-focus on what's important.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1109408
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20191212/msgs/1109441.html