Face masks

[SchoolNurse91]

So, my superintendent asked me to buy face masks. I've looked... everything is sold out. Do you know of any places that have them in stock?

[RegisteredNurseReneeRN]

1 hour ago, Wuzzie said:

You aren't even a nurse and yet you have more common sense then most! ?The N-95's are rated to 0.5 micron particles. The virus measures 0.02-0.05 microns so even the N-95s are useless.

Source for the virus measurement statistics?

[Wuzzie]

18 minutes ago, RegisterednurseRIRN said:

Source for the virus measurement statistics?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2020/01/29/should-you-get-a-face-mask-a-guide-to-coronavirus-face-protection/#5472b60b30a5

Forgive my bad memory. It's 0.1-0.2. Was typing and talking on the phone at the same time. Granted not a peer reviewed article but no reason to assume inaccuracy and the size is also buried deep within an article by the NIH. In addition the ID doctor I work with, who knows way more about this stuff than any of us, confirmed the virus size. There could be slight variances as this is the average size of all coronaviruses.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/respirator-use-faq.html

The range is 0.3-0.5 microns which differs depending on the manufacturer. The CDC still recommends these for health care workers working with suspected cases of Corona viruses although there are places that are moving up to PAPRS instead of N-95s due to fit issues and compliance. Regardless neither mask is necessary for routine use. Scrupulous hand hygiene and not touching your face is the best defense as you go about your day.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

11 hours ago, MSO4foru said:

We need a system that dosen't penalize people for being at home sick. Just imagine one Covid19 positive employee working at a grocery store or fast food place. Buckle up folks.

Or maybe start a system that penalizes people for coming into work obviously sick-I have seen people come to work with fevers, coughing, or worse combo and state, “I don’t want to waste my PTO time being sick”...gee, thanks, I’ll remember that when I’m using mine to go to the ER because your flu sharing caused my chronic asthma to go south real quick

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

28 minutes ago, NurseSpeedy said:

Or maybe start a system that penalizes people for coming into work obviously sick-I have seen people come to work with fevers, coughing, or worse combo and state, “I don’t want to waste my PTO time being sick”...gee, thanks, I’ll remember that when I’m using mine to go to the ER because your flu sharing caused my chronic asthma to go south real quick

I think most people who come to work sick, don't do it because they don't want to waste their PTO. It's usually because there are unwritten rules that people show up to work no matter how much sick/PTO they have available.

Or there ARE written penalties for using too much sick time.

In this country, the culture is 'no excuse not to go to work'. I was raised on this work ethic (its ingrained in our society). My parents used to tell me when I was a teenager with my first job, "you're going to work even if we have to call an ambulance to take you there".

People in food service industries are least likely to have PTO, so a day home is a day you don't get paid. Too many sick calls and you're fired. Sadly, these are the places where illnesses are likely to spread.

[NurseHeatherBSNRN, ASN, BSN]

21 hours ago, NurseSpeedy said:

Masks won’t help as much as having sick children and staff staying home-but good luck with that ever happening. Schools are petri dishes.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who says "I work in a petri dish"

[Wuzzie]

Very thorough, calm explanation of corona viruses from a retired military MD who also happens to be a specialist in infectious diseases.

https://www.facebook.com/michael.zapor

[sleepwalker, MSN, NP]

sounds like the staff need a quick 5-10 minute inservice on what COVID 19 is, why a storebought mask is ineffective, and some proper hygiene/risk reduction measures

[Wuzzie]

14 hours ago, sleepwalker said:

sounds like the staff need a quick 5-10 minute inservice on what COVID 19 is, why a storebought mask is ineffective, and some proper hygiene/risk reduction measures

Just saw a news item about Italy where it showed staff transporting a patient to an ambulance. They were very nicely holding up a sheet for patient privacy but every. single. one. had on a loosely tied surgical mask, no gown, no gloves. It's no wonder it's spreading. ?‍♀️

If the "professionals" can't get it right God help the general public.

[Nurse and Spy, BSN]

On 3/2/2020 at 9:24 AM, Wuzzie said:

You aren't even a nurse and yet you have more common sense then most! ?The N-95's are rated to 0.5 micron particles. The virus measures 0.02-0.05 microns so even the N-95s are useless.

Not true. Here's an excellent article:

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/coronavirus-pollution-masks-n95-surgical-mask/

[Wuzzie]

23 minutes ago, Nurse and Spy said:

Not true. Here's an excellent article:

They are not 100% and need to be fit- tested to work properly. Just slapping on an N-95 is not going to give the protection you think it will.

Also, I corrected the viral measurement in a subsequent post. I was talking on the phone when I originally typed it.

[Nurse and Spy, BSN]

You said N95 mask are useless. That is not correct. They filter to 0.3 microns, not 0.5 and they offer some protection, which is better than none.

Directions on how to fit test a mask are available online and anyone who passed nursing school has the intelligence to perform a fit test.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/respirator-use-faq.html

[ihavealltheice]

Did you tell him that standard surgical masks do nothing anyway and that only the N95 respirator masks work to prevent the spread and even if you had them, every person would still need to be fit tested to ensure they have the correct size?