facemasks

[controversial_jack]

The main advantage of a cloth mask is reducing transmission. Even a cut up T shirt works in this. That are less effective in preventing an individual becoming infected but even the most basic are providing some protection (these are studies based on particle size)

The problem with half masks is decontamination in an infectious environment. Flow masks are about £200 not £600 (we have someone who uses this for the beard reason). The biggest issue at the moment is getting filters for half masks as it is something I am considering rather than disposables for our work (chicken infection experiments). We have a couple of half masks already with goggles we use for aerosolised bacterial work (vaccine delivery mainly) . They are OK without the goggles, but horrendous with them.

Try an experiment. Pour water on the outside of a surgical mask and it won't get through

 

[controversial_jack]

I flew out of Heathrow yesterday. Whilst my flight was 75% full the frequency of flights was much less so overall passenger numbers are well down. However T5 was still littered with people ambling around aimlessly, walking in front of you, many not wearing masks (which I thought was mandatory for inside the terminal).

Wearing of masks rigorously enforced during the flight and a stiff warning given prior to disembarkation about social distancing inside the terminal at Rome. Much more organised in the terminal than at Heathrow, passengers segregated into lines and flows of traffic, passengers much more alert to presence of others and security in place highlighting even the most minor of mask fitting issues. On the whole it feels a little bit more organised or structured over here than it does in the UK.

Coops, given that you have observed this governments performance during the pandemic are you actually surprised?

Do you think he really had it.From ICU to total recovery in a very short time, with no ill effects.

Aye, Boris going around a covid ward, shaking patients by the hand, then going down with said virus, and almost dieing, should have raised alarm bells as to what we could expect from our clusterfuck of a government...