Whilst looking for masks online I stumbled across this interesting bit of information on the entuk.org website. Basically in a nutshell it suggests whilst exhalation valves on a mask will make it more comfortable for the user it presents a risk to patients (in this report) due to possible Covid particles being exhaled "if" the user has infection. Not sure if these types of masks filter the air "in" but it seems they certainly don't filter the air "out".
We would recommend that clinicians should not use a FFP3 mask with exhalation valve when undertaking any close patient interaction. If your only available FFP3 mask has an exhalation valve, you should consider using a surgical mask to cover it to protect the patient as well as the extending the masks use. An unvalved FFP3 mask would be better.
Anyone have any suggestions for decent mask/visor combinations you are using for glasses wearers? So many options online like ties that go around the ears to tie ups behind the head, valved/unvalved as per above, etc etc?
I'm going to need quite a few for Autumn term and ideally reusable or fairly cheap disposable. If you were for instance to go down the FFP2 or 3 route they are really expensive, although I believe the public are advised not to buy those, even if you can find them, so the medical fraternity have enough to go around. Surprisingly there seem to be so many options online and it's not like you can go into a shop and try a few like you would do shoes!!!
Do you have a sewing machine, can you hand sew, or do you have any old t-shirts you can spare?
There are many, many options out there. Why not experiment in the comfort of your home, wearing one to do your housework or whatever?
I haven't tried any of the no-sew options, because I'm happy to sew. I have made a variety of the 3-pleat versions (really, super-easy and very little stitching needed, and the more vaulted version, but to do these "nicely" requires a bit more sewing.
I am quite petite person, and the 3-pleat versions are, in my view, easier to achieve a decent fit, but these things come down to personal preference.
Yesterday in our local ASDA shop, they were selling 4 disposable masks for £2.80. They also had re-usables at 2 for £3, so they were much better value.
In your shoes, working a 2 or 3 part day (morning and afternoon, or morning, break, lunch, then home), I'd want 2 or 3
washable masks a day. For me, taking it off it would go straight into a ziploc bag for transfer to the washer.
I can knock up a mask in 15-20 minutes, using a sewing machine, which when I made a few in one sitting, came down because I did each stage for all the masks then went onto the next stage, so it got pretty efficient.
I've made masks from project remnants, but when it became clear mask wearing would be more frequent in both our worlds, I bought a few fat quarters in the local sewing shop.
If all of this is for September, you have oodles of time.
