To mask or not to mask?

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I think there’s some confusion as to what constitutes a “mask” in preventing the inhalation of coronavirus. Most of the people you see on TV are wearing surgical masks. 1) they’re not fitted properly and 2) they are for splash/blood protection. They’re not for preventing inhalation transmitted diseases/ viruses.

The masks we use when transporting patients with TB, Flu, etc are N95 masks, not surgical masks. They are designed for the smaller micron airborne particles. They are still useless unless properly fitted. There’s no guarantee they’ll filter out all particles. Roughly 95% that fall in the threshold of its filter criteria. Coronavirus is just below that so there’s no telling if you’ll be protected.

So, if you’re that worried, go out and buy an N95 if you can get ahold of one. Probably need several since they’re only good for around 8 hrs.:(
 
Velocity173 said:
Reminds me of the Ebola thread.
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...ola-become-a-major-outbreak-here.75767/page-3
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I cant believe that was so long ago. I remember I had just bought my plane and the seller flew it to me. I bought his airline ticket back home and he was concerned about Ebola. I said it's all hype you will be fine and that I should be worried because he and the plane came from Texas. I took him to the Airport and we see this larger lady in the door way in a wheel chair looking sick and wearing a mask. He was not happy hahaha. He was fine though.
 
simtech said:
I cant believe that was so long ago. I remember I had just bought my plane and the seller flew it to me. I bought his airline ticket back home and he was concerned about Ebola. I said it's all hype you will be fine and that I should be worried because he and the plane came from Texas. I took him to the Airport and we see this larger lady in the door way in a wheel chair looking sick and wearing a mask. He was not happy hahaha. He was fine though.
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Yeah and 40 % thought Ebola would be a major outbreak here. Just like with this virus, your chances are still greater from dying from the flu than coronavirus. Rational preparation is fine but I think there’s a lot of overreacting going on right now.
 
Stan Cooper said:
There's a vaccine for the flu, but not for Covid-19 (yet).
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There's a vaccine for the flu, but what flu, when, and how effective? Here's some facts......... not speculation, wives tales, or media hype........

"According to a Feb. 21 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the current influenza vaccine has been 45% effective overall against 2019-2020 seasonal influenza A and B viruses. Specifically, the flu vaccine has been 50% effective against influenza B/Victoria viruses and 37% effective against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09"


There is a corona beer virus vaccine clinical trial underway here as we speak. It's been rumored that bat immune system research, and poor laboratory containment control procedures are likely the root for this potential worldwide pandemic. Who knows, who cares. I aint wearin no worthless stupid mask.
 
German guy said:
@Tantalum

Keep in mind that the number of infected people in Wuhan is only relatively low because the Chinese pretty much shut down the entire city almost immediately. People don't even leave their houses anymore and if the government finds someone with even mild symptoms, the person will be forcefully(!!) admitted to a hospital.

None of this is practical here in the freedom loving States of America.

I bet that there are already thousands of infected people all over the US, unknowingly spreading the virus. I don't see any reason why it should not spread at least as widely as a regular flu. Actually, quite the contrary.

According to the CDC around 34,200 people died from the flu during the 2018 / 19 flu season:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2018-2019.html

Wouldn't you think that it might be a slight bit of a reason for concern that we will likely soon have a virus spreading like the flu in the US, that is however at least 100 times as deadly?
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Aren't we all immune since we all died from Ebola a few years ago?
 
Looks like I'll have to turn my Circle Beard into a Zappa. DAMN YOU Covid-19!

coronavirus-facial-hair.jpg
 
catmandu said:
Looks like I'll have to turn my Circle Beard into a Zappa. DAMN YOU Covid-19!

coronavirus-facial-hair.jpg
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lol! I’m the N95 mask fitter at work and when I got that chart, I thought it was a joke. Nope. They got names for everything and if you’ve got yourself a Fu Manchu, need to cut it or seek employment elsewhere.
 
genna said:
This coronavirus to flu comparison is pretty silly, IMO.

Of course seasonal flu kills more people. For now. Largely because you almost cannot escape it and nearly 10% of population get it.
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I am sorry to be negative, but this is patent nonsense. Influenza is ALWAYS a severe infection. If you had a 24-hour flu bug you didn't have the flu. When you have influenza, you either think you are going to die or want to. You're out of action for a week minimum, often more. And yes, influenza kills lots of people. 80% of COVID-19 infections are mild, many asymptomatic. There is no such thing as a mild case of influenza. In a way the comparison isn't apt because flu is far, far worse.
 
steingar said:
I am sorry to be negative, but this is patent nonsense. Influenza is ALWAYS a severe infection. If you had a 24-hour flu bug you didn't have the flu. When you have influenza, you either think you are going to die or want to. You're out of action for a week minimum, often more. And yes, influenza kills lots of people. 80% of COVID-19 infections are mild, many asymptomatic. There is no such thing as a mild case of influenza. In a way the comparison isn't apt because flu is far, far worse.
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Huh? What exactly are you having an issue with? Seasonal flu is serious, sure. Never said it wasn't. I've had it a few times. I wished I was dead. Its mortality rate however is 0.09%. Not very high. This virus mortality rate is a lot higher(at least 2% that we know). My argument was not that flu is not serious, but that dismissing coronavirus because it hasn't killed as many as flu is silly.

And yes, there are mild flu infections. Some with no symptoms.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health...dont-have-symptoms-you-may-still-have-the-flu

Your symptoms largely depend on the type of virus you get. Type A is typically the worst, B is often not bad and C is very mild.

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/advanced-reading-types-of-flu-viruses#1
 
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I see that Rush Limbaugh has announced that COVID is no worse than the common cold. Man, that's good to know.
 
If you look at the deaths in Italy (14) they have all been elderly people ALL with preexisting conditions. The list I saw the youngest was 62 the next youngest was 77.
 
write-stuff said:
I see that Rush Limbaugh has announced that COVID is no worse than the common cold. Man, that's good to know.
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Well then, that’s good news for the cruise ship industry — they have at least one potential customer.
 
steingar said:
When you have influenza, you either think you are going to die or want to.
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Add, or afraid you are not going to die....:lol:

I have had the flu virus once in my life. I do not want to get it again.

Being a major germaphobe keeps me always prepared. I have a 55 gallon drum of hand sanitizer and a full pallet of hand wipes. And this is just for my trip to Walmart later this evening.....:rolleyes:

And I never touch my face without sanitizing or washing my hands first.
 
My wife is flying to her nieces wedding shower next week and she will be wearing a mask on the plane and taking a big bottle of hand sanitizer.
 
cgrab said:
My wife is flying to her nieces wedding shower next week and she will be wearing a mask on the plane and taking a big bottle of hand sanitizer.
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Don't forget the three ounces of liquids rule.
 
My son called me and asked if I had bought masks yet. I said no.

He informed me there were no N95 masks left in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and asked if I could buy some where I live...

Seems like the same folks who clear the shelves of bread and bottled water have snatched up all the masks.
 
Art Rose said:
There's a vaccine for the flu, but what flu, when, and how effective? Here's some facts......... not speculation, wives tales, or media hype........

"According to a Feb. 21 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the current influenza vaccine has been 45% effective overall against 2019-2020 seasonal influenza A and B viruses. Specifically, the flu vaccine has been 50% effective against influenza B/Victoria viruses and 37% effective against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09"


There is a corona beer virus vaccine clinical trial underway here as we speak. It's been rumored that bat immune system research, and poor laboratory containment control procedures are likely the root for this potential worldwide pandemic. Who knows, who cares. I aint wearin no worthless stupid mask.
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The fatality rate for people infected with influenza is 0.2%, thanks in large part to half the U.S. population getting flu shots. Based on current information, the fatality rate for people infected with Covid-19 is 2.0%, and it is highly infectious.

Commercial passenger airliners with recirculating air are infection chambers, and you have no idea if the coughing, sneezing passenger sitting next to you has a simple head cold or a serious respiratory infection. For my cross-country flight next week I'll be wearing an N-95 mask with 360 degree flexible, tight fitting neoprene sealing and using handwipes with 60% alcohol.
 
Stan Cooper said:
The fatality rate for people infected with influenza is 0.2%, thanks in large part to half the U.S. population getting flu shots. Based on current information, the fatality rate for people infected with Covid-19 is 2.0%, and it is highly infectious.

Commercial passenger airliners with recirculating air are infection chambers, and you have no idea if the coughing, sneezing passenger sitting next to you has a simple head cold or a serious respiratory infection. For my cross-country flight next week I'll be wearing an N-95 mask with 360 degree flexible, tight fitting neoprene sealing and using handwipes with 60% alcohol.
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The air in airliners is probably less recirculated than on your local grocery store. But you're in much closer proximity to others.
 
Lindberg said:
The air in airliners is probably less recirculated than on your local grocery store. But you're in much closer proximity to others.
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https://www.tripsavvy.com/air-quality-during-your-flight-54164

The ratio of fresh to recycled air in a plane is 50-50 percent, and two things happen with recirculated air: Some air is dumped overboard while the remainder is pumped through HEPA air filters, which remove more than 99 percent of all contaminants, including bacteriologic agents.

You're basically correct if the HEPA filtering systems are working properly.
 
For my cross-country flight next week I'll be wearing an N-95 mask with 360 degree flexible, tight fitting neoprene sealing and using handwipes with 60% alcohol.[/QUOTE]



Sitting here, and can't stop laughing.............

The Boy in the Bubble.........

You do know your ancestors are responsible for the robust human immune system you enjoy today, don't you? Why all the foolishness?
 
Art Rose said:
Sitting here, and can't stop laughing.............​

The Boy in the Bubble......…

You do know your ancestors are responsible for the robust human immune system you enjoy today, don't you? Why all the foolishness?
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...and you do know that robust immune system can be compromised, don't you? That's especially true as we get older. I'm glad you're having a good laugh.
 
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Spitballing here, so you smart folks please chime in...

From available data, it seems that if you catch the beer virus, the mortality rate is at least 10x higher than the flu.

Also, it seems that the beer virus is more communicable in that we have no resistance to it, it can exist for far longer than the flu virus outside the body, and the period where you're a carrier without being sick is considerably longer. I'm pegging it as 10x more communicable. I'm sure there's a real number out there somewhere.

So, if it is 10x as deadly and 10x as communicable, it is 100x as dangerous as the flu. If 60K people die from the flu in a typical year, add 2 zeroes and you get 6 million probabilistic fatalities per year from the Coronavirus if it becomes widespread like the flu.
 
Velocity173 said:
Yeah and 40 % thought Ebola would be a major outbreak here. Just like with this virus, your chances are still greater from dying from the flu than coronavirus. Rational preparation is fine but I think there’s a lot of overreacting going on right now.
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Probably. I just wish I had bought stock in the companies that make the N95 masks earlier.
 
Man the hype is escalating....I mean seriously 7 billion world wide and so far 82k cases and out of those 2,817 deaths. Lets not forget there have been over 33k who have recovered..and again this is WORLD WIDE! Of those 82k cases 78k have been in china. The worry here is bizarre. I have more important things to worry about. Every few years they have to hype up some scare, history repeats....Its always something to strike fear in the masses.
 
simtech said:
Man the hype is escalating....I mean seriously 7 billion world wide and so far 82k cases and out of those 2,817 deaths. Lets not forget there have been over 33k who have recovered..and again this is WORLD WIDE! Of those 82k cases 78k have been in china. The worry here is bizarre. I have more important things to worry about. Every few years they have to hype up some scare, history repeats....Its always something to strike fear in the masses.
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I hope you're right. The challenge, as previously pointed out in the thread, is that China locked things down and there have still been 78K cases there. In the west, we've never quarantined cities and I don't expect we're likely to do it now, so if it gets a toehold in the US, what mechanisms are out there to slow/stop its spread?
 
kyleb said:
I hope you're right. The challenge, as previously pointed out in the thread, is that China locked things down and there have still been 78K cases there. In the west, we've never quarantined cities and I don't expect we're likely to do it now, so if it gets a toehold in the US, what mechanisms are out there to slow/stop its spread?
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I hope im right too haha but seriously look at all the past pandemics, swine flu, ebola, whatever happened with those. They were spouting out all the same crap they are now. This will pass and other virus and activities will still be a greater threat. I mean Flying GA is more dangerous than driving yet we continue to fly, bad analogy maybe but still. Get out and live without a mask, you have other things that will harm you long before the corona virus, in my opinion.
Here is a snippet from a site keeping tabs on this...

 
simtech said:
I hope im right too haha but seriously look at all the past pandemics, swine flu, ebola, whatever happened with those. They were spouting out all the same crap they are now. This will pass and other virus and activities will still be a greater threat. I mean Flying GA is more dangerous than driving yet we continue to fly, bad analogy maybe but still. Get out and live without a mask, you have other things that will harm you long before the corona virus, in my opinion.
Here is a snippet from a site keeping tabs on this...

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It's amazing how much less lethal all these pandemics become once they reach the first world....
 
simtech said:
I hope im right too haha but seriously look at all the past pandemics, swine flu, ebola, whatever happened with those. They were spouting out all the same crap they are now.
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Ebola was very isolated geographically. Honestly, African villages don't see a lot of transient traffic to spread that particular disease. Interesting note - the Ebola victim carrying aircraft are based at my home field. Taxiing past those (actually *that*) aircraft during the ebola crisis was a bit sobering.

Back to Corona... The major cities in China (and Italy, Iran, etc) are hubs where one person can infect a few others who traffic the illness to the far corners of the earth and go on spreading it. The virus *could* go exponential because of that. Swine flu? I remember that one, but don't remember enough to comment.
 
Stan Cooper said:
https://www.tripsavvy.com/air-quality-during-your-flight-54164

The ratio of fresh to recycled air in a plane is 50-50 percent, and two things happen with recirculated air: Some air is dumped overboard while the remainder is pumped through HEPA air filters, which remove more than 99 percent of all contaminants, including bacteriologic agents.

You're basically correct if the HEPA filtering systems are working properly.
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There's not 50% fresh air in a grocery store.
 
kyleb said:
Ebola was very isolated geographically. Honestly, African villages don't see a lot of transient traffic to spread that particular disease. Interesting note - the Ebola victim carrying aircraft are based at my home field. Taxiing past those (actually *that*) aircraft during the ebola crisis was a bit sobering.

Back to Corona... The major cities in China (and Italy, Iran, etc) are hubs where one person can infect a few others who traffic the illness to the far corners of the earth and go on spreading it. The virus *could* go exponential because of that. Swine flu? I remember that one, but don't remember enough to comment.
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I agree about the ebola out break. It was isolated BUT the media hyped it up 10 fold and it was going to spread uncontrollably once it was on US soil. And what happened..thankfully nothing and all hype here.

Swine flu was huge and the next population corrector. 60 million cases and 12k deaths in the US according to the CDC...then it dropped off. This will be no different I bet if even that bad. I never used hand sanitizer until the swine flu outbreak. They had that stuff everywhere when it started. I still use it daily today now.
 
simtech said:
I agree about the ebola out break. It was isolated BUT the media hyped it up 10 fold and it was going to spread uncontrollably once it was on US soil. And what happened..thankfully nothing and all hype here.

Swine flu was huge and the next population corrector. 60 million cases and 12k deaths in the US according to the CDC...then it dropped off. This will be no different I bet if even that bad. I never used hand sanitizer until the swine flu outbreak. They had that stuff everywhere when it started. I still use it daily today now.
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Swine flu 2009 infected about 20% of world’s population. Just turned out to be not very deadly.

This, with your own numbers: 33,000 recovered and 2,800 dead, looks potentially a little worse.

I’m all for being proven wrong, but once again, it appears to be potentially a little bit more deadly than flu if it gets anywhere near flu infection rates. Swine flu including. Thanks for making my point.
 
PeterNSteinmetz said:
Probably. I just wish I had bought stock in the companies that make the N95 masks earlier.
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I was looking at the 10 pack of N95 masks I got for sanding drywall and was thinking how much I could get back if I went to the airport and sold them.
 
genna said:
Swine flu 2009 infected about 20% of world’s population. Just turned out to be not very deadly.

This, with your own numbers: 33,000 recovered and 2,800 dead, looks potentially a little worse.

I’m all for being proven wrong, but once again, it appears to be potentially a little bit more deadly than flu if it gets anywhere near flu infection rates. Swine flu including. Thanks for making my point.
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Lets talk in 6 months or a year and see what the numbers say because I bet early on the Swine flu looked similar or there wouldn't have been mass hysteria associated with it.
 
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