Purchase Masks?

[JohnL]

You can apparently use bandanas - but mine have never felt comfortable on my face - I just use them as XXL size hankies.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I have to agree with Foxy. It is ridiculous Sadiq Khan demanding compulsory face masks for the public when such masks are generally not available to the public.

Any such regulation would put extra pressure on suppliers and allow opportunists to push prices up even more.

If the Mayor's office can guarantee a supply of masks to Londoners, at a reasonable cost or free, then great.

If not, perhaps he should concentrate on making sensible suggestions that will not cause further stresses to an already over-burdened PPE supply chain.

[Michael Palaeologus]

JohnL Wrote:

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> You can apparently use bandanas - but mine have

> never felt comfortable on my face - I just use

> them as XXL size hankies.

For a brief and joyful second, I read 'bananas'

[fishbiscuits]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

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> I have to agree with Foxy. It is ridiculous Sadiq

> Khan demanding compulsory face masks for the

> public when such masks are generally not available

> to the public.

Yeah I think that's why the govt have not recommended them all along - because we just don't have the supply. For a while I believed the official advice (i.e. that they don't really help), but this seems to be contrary to what every other country is saying/doing!!

I think we'll have to find a way of procuring (or manufacturing) huge numbers of them before people start going back to work.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I have friends in Thailand who tell me that face masks there are available at every 7/11 and Family Mart, which means they are available every few metres down any Thai street.

Cost is a few baht a mask.

If Thailand can do it why can't we? It's bizarre.

[fishbiscuits]

Many Asian countries are more habitually inclined to wear face masks when they're unwell, or "something's going round". I don't know if it maybe goes back to SARS, or maybe some more fundamental/cultural reason. But they would have certainly had much more of an established supply chain pre-COVID.

[Michael Palaeologus]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

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> Many Asian countries are more habitually inclined

> to wear face masks when they're unwell, or

> "something's going round". I don't know if it

> maybe goes back to SARS, or maybe some more

> fundamental/cultural reason. But they would have

> certainly had much more of an established supply

> chain pre-COVID.

Good point, well made

[Peckhampam]

Dulwich Fox

"It's Khan's Only objective on Everything he supports.

Congestion Charge -- It's OK to Congest as long as you PAY

ULEZ -- It's OK to pollute as long as you PAY."

What a ridiculous statemement. The congestion charge lowered the amount of cars going into London, ULEZ has brought pollution down by 35%. They both make it clear that it is NOT ok to carry on as we are doing, as London is still an immensely congested city Maybe you could make a positive contribution to give your ideas of how we could go about bringing pollution down?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Peckhampam Wrote:

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> Dulwich Fox

> "It's Khan's Only objective on Everything he

> supports.

>

> Congestion Charge -- It's OK to Congest as long as

> you PAY

>

> ULEZ -- It's OK to pollute as long as you PAY."

>

> What a ridiculous statemement. The congestion

> charge lowered the amount of cars going into

> London, ULEZ has brought pollution down by 35%.

> They both make it clear that it is NOT ok to carry

> on as we are doing, as London is still an

> immensely congested city Maybe you could make a

> positive contribution to give your ideas of how we

> could go about bringing pollution down?

All irrelevant to the thread subject "Purchase Masks?".

I was specifically responding to the mask availability point and ignored the other elements which are a diversion and irrelevant to this thread.

If you have an issue with pollution at this time, perhaps you would like to start your own thread?

[DulwichFox]

Peckhampam Wrote:

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> Dulwich Fox

> "It's Khan's Only objective on Everything he

> supports.

>

> Congestion Charge -- It's OK to Congest as long as

> you PAY

>

> ULEZ -- It's OK to pollute as long as you PAY."

>

> What a ridiculous statemement. The congestion

> charge lowered the amount of cars going into

> London, ULEZ has brought pollution down by 35%.

> They both make it clear that it is NOT ok to carry

> on as we are doing, as London is still an

> immensely congested city

Maybe you could make a positive contribution to give your ideas of how we could go about bringing pollution down?

Instead of charging and making ?millions

Just Ban polluting vehicles..

That would reduce pollution.

Next problem you would like me to solve instantly ??

[JohnL]

Normally I tend to support Khan but if he wants masks worn he has to make sure we can get them easily.

Of course only certain groups are using public transport at the moment so maybe that's on his mind but soon it will come to wearing one at the grocery store and exercising.

[dbboy]

If you want to wear a mask that's your choice, Khan may want these worn, they don't protect the wearer, rather those in there vicinity. The Govt and all the experts asked have said they do NOT provide a benefit. Scaremonger as much as you like, feel psychologically stronger if you want to wear one but life is hard enough as it is with all the restrictions. It's a shame that people in supermarkets have no appreciation of 2m and STILL walk close.

Some people have no understanding on what a 2m distance is, I've seen people standing more that 18ft apart thinking that's a 2m gap.

[fishbiscuits]

dbboy Wrote:

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> they don't protect the wearer, rather those in there vicinity.

Sounds pretty beneficial to me, then!!

[malumbu]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-

> Instead of charging and making ?millions

>

> Just Ban polluting vehicles..

>

> That would reduce pollution.

>

Car lobby is too strong, people are wedded to car use, national and local government too frightened to take on the motorist as a vote loser, public wont use motorised transport sensibly - driving standards and car occupancy (utility) both poor and unnecessary journeys.

ULEZ is a blunt instrument, but was proposed by a Tory mayor and the concept of Clean Air Zones introduced by Cameron's government. Sadly twenty years later the fuel protests are still having an impact - successive governments failing to put up fuel duty. We've had these conversations before, I know shed loads on the subject.

But thanks for the distraction from other matters!

PS this should be under the wider discussion on how the world should change for the better post Covid-19 but sadly many are more more interested in dog poo and joggers.

[Pugwash]

If you do wear a mask- have a thought for members of the deaf community who rely on lip reading for communication. Many deaf people have some hearing but also use lip reading. It is very difficult to understand some one if you cannot see lip movement - please have patience if you are asked to repeat something or your 'conversation' appears to be ignored.

[Charles Martel]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have to agree with Foxy. It is ridiculous Sadiq

> Khan demanding compulsory face masks for the

> public when such masks are generally not available

> to the public.

>

> Any such regulation would put extra pressure on

> suppliers and allow opportunists to push prices up

> even more.

If there was a clear policy that encouraged the wearing of homemade cotton face masks it would have the opposite effect. Since most people have the materials at hand to make a perfectly adequate face mask the need for them to purchase masks would be eliminated. Obviously this would require that the information, which has been freely available online for weeks, be actually accepted and acted on by our lazy, incompetent government and their oh so clever scientific advisers. Unfortunately they seem to have used up all their brain power on thinking up excuses for the laziness and incompetence of their political masters.

The rationale for using home made masks:

https://masks4all.co/

Disposable:

Sewn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpNmJGClKKI

Effect of various materials as filters:

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/