Mythbusters sneeze distance test

[Andrew Joiner]

I live in a windy area. When I go on my daily walks I was guessing that being 6' away downwind from someone was adding risk. This video proves 6' even indoors is risky. They measured a sneeze can travel 17'!
Wearing a bandana over your nose and mouth should stop the droplets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f4sUNWkq60

[Jim Becker]

Professor Dr. SWMBO an I were just talking about how it's very likely that there will be a coming recommendation for folks to start wearing a mask or substitute while out in public for exactly this reason. The extra benefit is that it discourages one from touching the face while wearing it which is even more risky while out and about because of touching surfaces. We're all gonna be stylin'!!

[Jamie Buxton]

Say you're wearing a dust mask like many of us have in the shop. Perhaps the sneeze droplets are big enough to be stopped by the filter -- I don't know. What happens in the next few minutes? You're still breathing, pulling air past those caught droplets. Pretty quickly, the water in them evaporates. Now what? Do you have teensy little virus particles sitting on your mask -- particles which are small enough to pass through the filter? Do you suck them into your intake air?

[Jim Becker]

My understanding is that the N95 masks are better for the purpose, but it's apparently not a huge leap from one step down. A well fitted, properly designed mask of other types is better than none... To your specific question, what kind of dust mask you have in your shop would come into play including how well it fits. My RZ is closely fitting, but it's primarily focused on nuisance dust and minor odor with only a charcoal insert filter. I don't have any of the paper type, but I never had one of those that actually fit my face well.

Professor Dr. SWMBO is currently working on V2 and V2.5 of a mask design. V1 didn't have an additional filter insert like an N-85, but she did a good job with general fit. V2 does have an insert pocket but it's hard to balance the available HEPA material with the ability to move air through it. V2.5 adds a moldable structure at the nose so that the mask can be more closely fitted in that area as is must be for best protection and to keep from fogging glasses by those who wear them. V3 apparently is a completely different design and I don't know what that comprises yet other than the size of the cardboard pattern she had me cut for her.

[Andrew Joiner]

I'm going to wear 2-layers of t-shirt fabric. Just 2 t-shirt sleeves cut off long enough to cover my nose,mouth and then tuck into the turtle neck shirt I'll wear. The gap at the nose is held tight by my eyeglasses and chums. It's like pulling the t-shirt your wearing up over your nose and holding it there, only 2- layers.
It works better than a n-95 type for me because I have a beard. Air is filtered thru an area larger than a dust mask and goes down and out thru the shirt your wearing.

So comfortable I may even wear it for shop dust, but not on days I eat beans!

This link has good info:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/servi...a_pandemic.pdf

[Jim Becker]

It works better than a n-95 type for me because I have a beard. Air is filtered thru an area larger than a dust mask and goes down and out thru the shirt your wearing.

That brings up a good point...facial hair does very much affect the fit of PPE. Mine is short so it's less of a challenge but "burley" folks have to account for that hair in their solution.

[John K Jordan]

That brings up a good point...facial hair does very much affect the fit of PPE. Mine is short so it's less of a challenge but "burley" folks have to account for that hair in their solution.

I shaved off my beard when wearing the mask outside the house became necessary (in my mind). No problem, of course, until I cut my hair too. (I will avoid the barber for the interim.) Ever try to cut your own hair in the mirror with scissors? (Especially for a staged photo while holding the phone!) The sides and front were no problem but the back, using two mirrors...? Fortunately, I don't have to look at the back. (And I don't care much what others think!)

Before and after...

Arrowmont_04_s.jpg haircut.jpg

As for masks, I heard on NPR of one reason why we often see pictures and video of so many people in Japan wearing masks - they said a cultural difference is it is considered respectful to prevent spreading your own germs to others, something taught to children from a young age. Can't imagine that spontaneously catching on in the US...

And as for droplets, did you read the horror story of the choir practice in Washington? They debated even meeting but decided to carry on. 60 people met on March 10 and later 45 tested positive and 2 died. NOT ONE had symptoms. The suspicion was someone was an asymptomatic carrier and instead of the usual large droplets from coughs they must have been infected by tiny aerosol droplets, something the WHO and others are telling us is unlikely. The guess is the aerosols were distributed through the room by enthusiastic singers,. Two people developed symptoms several days later so they were probably among the carriers. The point is in some cases even wearing some type of otherwise good mask may be insufficient. Stay away! And rats, I'm going to have to quit singing Happy Birthday to others with my operatic tenor, even at a distance.

JKJ

[Bill McNiel]

John- you look great. Forget the scissors and just buzz your melon every couple of weeks.

[Jim Becker]

I shaved off my beard when wearing the mask outside the house became necessary (in my mind). No problem, of course, until I cut my hair too. (I will avoid the barber for the interim.) Ever try to cut your own hair in the mirror with scissors? (Especially for a staged photo while holding the phone!) The sides and front were no problem but the back, using two mirrors...? Fortunately, I don't have to look at the back. (And I don't care much what others think!)

Before and after...

Arrowmont_04_s.jpg haircut.jpg

I'm actually in good shape since I've been cutting my hair for years with a high quality Andis clipper which also trims down the facial hair. Shaving isn't a good thing for me because of a strong tendency to ingrowth, but I can keep it really short while avoiding that problem. I cannot imagine doing one's own hair with just scissors!

[John K Jordan]

...I cannot imagine doing one's own hair with just scissors!

I've cut other's hair with scissors but that's only the second time in my life I've cut my own. The first was when I moved to TN in 1970, found a job on Friday and had to report Monday am. And the manager said, "Get a haircut!" No money for a haircut but I did have some scissors.
It was just as awkward 50 years ago.

[Jim Becker]

I've also cut others' hair with scissors when I was in college and some friends had no money...