Face mask tutorial

[firecat]

I have no idea whether face masks help prevent COVID-19 transmission, or which kinds (other than N95s, which should be reserved for health care workers) work best, but I've seen some talk that face masks might become required for people venturing out. I happen to have a lot of shop towels so I'm putting this here so I can access it later.

Easy No-Sew Shop Towel Mask
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mai-UqdNRi8

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/masks-diy-coronavirus/2020/04/01/20830f5e-7420-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html : "Which DIY mask pattern should you use? Even experts can’t pick one to recommend" by Sindya Bhanoo

Peter Tsai, the materials scientist who invented the electrostatic charging technology that N95 masks — the highest-quality medical masks on the market — rely on, also believes that homemade masks are an important part of the United States’ battle against the coronavirus. He offered another material for DIY mask makers to consider: nonwoven fabrics.
...
Tsai recommended using car shop towels as mask material. The towels, available in rolls and often blue in color, would do a better job of filtering droplets than cloth, he said. The material is “very strong,” he said. “And it can be washed with soap and water and reused.” There are YouTube videos that offer tutorials on using this material....The towels, he said, could also be used in conjunction with cloth masks, serving as an additional filtering layer.

Comments

[bibliofile]

This article was interesting, discussing research at Cambridge University and also testing via the company's own equipment. I think that plenty of fibers are better, thus the dish towel and not the silk. I've also heard that (probably lightweight, US fabric) flannel could work as an inner layer.

I'm figuring that something may be better than nothing. It's the possible bind of, if one must have the infection, hoping to experience fewer symptoms personally while, y'know, not making anyone else sick.