Masks in Europe

Conal

Conal

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Hi all,

We are setting off for Spain via France on 12th March for 66 days abroad. I know no one has a crystal ball but what thoughts are out there on the possible need to wear face masks to visit large towns/cities/festivals by the time we get there.

We plan to be in Valencia for Las Fallas and in Santiago de Compestela for Easter, both booked ahead. We will also be visiting Tolado, Porto and Lisbon.

On Amazon no masks are available before we leave, and personally, I don’t think they are effective. However, as chocolate, cheese and any fatty food makes me cough I can understand that other tourist or locals would appreciate me coughing in their faces, especially at this this time.
 
I have customers who wholesale masks and antibacterial products - they are completely sold out . I understand that masks have only very limited effect (albeit I encouraged my son to get one on his recent plane trips ). Keep away from crowds and take practical steps - wash hands regularly , etc .

take care
 
local screwfix had a notice on shelf today , customers limited to 5 masks per person due to global shortage..

not that i was buying any. YET!
 
Conal said:
Hi all,

We are setting off for Spain via France on 12th March for 66 days abroad. I know no one has a crystal ball but what thoughts are out there on the possible need to wear face masks to visit large towns/cities/festivals by the time we get there.

We plan to be in Valencia for Las Fallas and in Santiago de Compestela for Easter, both booked ahead. We will also be visiting Tolado, Porto and Lisbon.

On Amazon no masks are available before we leave, and personally, I don’t think they are effective. However, as chocolate, cheese and any fatty food makes me cough I can understand that other tourist or locals would appreciate me coughing in their faces, especially at this this time.
Click to expand...
I tried to buy some from 6 pharmacies in Lisbon today as we have travelled on trains and buses and my immunities may be low after chemo.
didn’t see one person wearing one in a weeks travel but the pharmacies say they have sold out!!( keeping them for themselves me thinks!!?)
Buy from home if you can you probably won’t need them!
 
Don’t bother, a scarf will be sufficient in reminding you not to touch to your mouth and nose.

Aerosolised COVID19 isn’t an issue unless close and performing certain procedures.

Wash your hands lots or use alcohol gel and have fun! ?

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I managed to get some from a company called Green Office online. They still had some Thursday when I phoned to ask why my original order, of 2 week’s previously, had not arrived. We are going on a flight a week on Tuesday and just wanted to have in case asked to wear one or if i felt uncomfortable around someone in crowded airport or plane. However, I know they are supposed to be useless before I get loads of comments ! :giggle:
I have also bought a few of those anti bacterial gel bottles, just the small pocket sized ones to carry around and some wipes.
Mind you, I still caught something last weekend at Sainsbury’s :sick:
However we are both in that demographic of over 70 with underlying heart conditions, you know the ones where the news reports say “there have been x number of deaths but (never mind) they were all ............”
 
Googlebot said:
Don’t bother, a scarf will be sufficient in reminding you not to touch to your mouth and nose.
Click to expand...
That’s a good point. You just need something to remind you not to touch your face. In this respect the anti bacteria gels work well as they leave such a strong smell on your hands.
 
Thanks for the comments, especially Riverbankannie . Agree with Googlebot that scarfs would be just as good (or just as useless) but my concern is that we might not be allowed on public transport without them, and for Valencia we rely on the Metro.

Green Office did not advertise anti-bacterial masks but have ordered two PM2.5 masks from eBay. So, if anyone sees two ninjas in Valencia you know who we are!
 
we are setting of for Valencia from Newhaven to Dieppe on the 12th march was going to the fires but depending on this virus may not go into the city but stay with sister inlaw just outside trouble is these celebrations are world renowned now and Valencias population triples over the fires week and the mascletas are absolutely jam packed with people. (apart from the sound levels reaching an ear shattering 120 decibels plus)and the parades , fireworks at night are also packed so any kind of virus is going to spread like wild fire. I'm sad because I love the noise and spectacle but I have to realise that as a person with diabetes heart disease its not worth the risk, most of this years touring will be small villages coast and countryside so avoiding large crowds.
I also see tonights news people who have had it before are getting reinfected scientist not sure whether it lays dormant and then flares up again or is straight reinfection

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Perhaps understandably - given it's not our culture to wear masks - folk are completely misunderstanding their purpose...

They're not to protect you from infection, they are used by those with colds to stop spreading their infection... to catch germs as they breathe out...

3 ply paper ones will be effective for, maybe, up to 4 hours. 2 ply ones considerably less.
 
Why do we think masks will be needed more in Europe than in Barnsley or Bournemouth? It’s going to be everywhere in due course. Unstoppable with our current travel habits weighed against the carrier before symptoms situation.
All gonna be pot luck pretty much despite laudable best efforts by many people and governments
 
Also avoid touching / rubbing your eyes as viruses can enter through your eyes ( via tear ducts, I think)
I think if you’re in an area with an outbreak maybe disposable gloves to wear in supers, markets etc.. might be more effective? Just remember to bin them before entering your moho.
 
Hollyberry said:
Also avoid touching / rubbing your eyes as viruses can enter through your eyes ( via tear ducts, I think)
I think if you’re in an area with an outbreak maybe disposable gloves to wear in supers, markets etc.. might be more effective? Just remember to bin them before entering your moho.
Click to expand...

Gloves don’t help unless you are messing in fluids. The skin breaks down under them making transmission more likely.
 
The only first hand info I have is from a good friend in Hong Kong. They have been in lockdown for a couple of weeks and schools are shut for the next 6 weeks at least. She’s meant to be working from home but is going into the office. She wears a new mask each day. 3 ply surgical grade. Hong Kong has managed so far to limit infections to 80 which is pretty miraculous given proximity to China. She strips and showers in antibacterial when she gets back home.
 
Masks will help only to stop transmission from the person who is infected. They are a minor barrier to stop contamination.

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well there is a good opportunity for all you ladies out there that sew, and a few men, to sew up some custom 2 ply cotton masks. You will need 2 each, one to wear and the other in the wash. Every person I know with a sewing machine has a scraps bag and could knock out dozens a day
 
TheBig1 said:
well there is a good opportunity for all you ladies out there that sew, and a few men, to sew up some custom 2 ply cotton masks. You will need 2 each, one to wear and the other in the wash. Every person I know with a sewing machine has a scraps bag and could knock out dozens a day
Click to expand...
Don’t laugh, I did actually think of doing just that !
 
Conal said:
Hi all,

We are setting off for Spain via France on 12th March for 66 days abroad. I know no one has a crystal ball but what thoughts are out there on the possible need to wear face masks to visit large towns/cities/festivals by the time we get there.

We plan to be in Valencia for Las Fallas and in Santiago de Compestela for Easter, both booked ahead. We will also be visiting Tolado, Porto and Lisbon.

On Amazon no masks are available before we leave, and personally, I don’t think they are effective. However, as chocolate, cheese and any fatty food makes me cough I can understand that other tourist or locals would appreciate me coughing in their faces, especially at this this time.
Click to expand...
You do realise that these masks only keep in the germs you’re breathing out and not the germs you’re breathing in don’t you?
 
I've got a friend who's son is in self isolation after a school trip to Italy last week. The parents have been told that it's okay for them to wander around and some others on the same trip have brothers and sisters still at school. Strikes me the Chinese have a lot better handle on things its going to romp across the UK
 

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