There is a world of difference between wearing a mask TO the grocery store and having to wear a mask all day while WORKING at grocery store.
Just because I can do something for a few minutes doesn’t mean the other person can do it for 8 uninterrupted hours. The longest continuous time I’ve worn a mask was 90 minutes - and at that point I had to leave the store to go outside and take it off - if only for another few minutes.
For the most part I give leeway to those with masks worn in less than stellar fashion if they have to wear them all day. If OTOH someone is just running an errand I’m more of the ‘suck it up buttercup and wear it properly’ school of thought.
Dentists are starting to see the effects of ‘mask mouth’.
It sounds like “mask mouth” is mostly a failure to change masks daily and to practice good (normal good) dental hygiene.
I figure if doctors and nurses can wear masks all day, I can suck it up too. It’s not as though you never get a break - bathroom visits, normal coffee breaks, meals.
DH found two N95 masks in the basement of our cabin this weekend! We’ll give one to our daughter since she’ll be photographing newborns at our local hospital as soon as it opens up to the photography company.
I figure if Asian folks (and other places) can adapt to wearing masks essentially all the time when necessary, Americans can too. I don’t feel we’re that inferior of a society.
Med school lad told me it takes some time to get used to, but it’s not really a big deal.
My son works at a produce stand outdoors for 10 hours a day. They are required to wear a mask, properly covering mouth and nose, the entire time except when on a break and away from staff/customers. Temperatures here have been 90+ degrees and humid since late June and he’s working 50 hours a week outside all summer, properly wearing that mask. I’m amazed he stuck with it - he comes home soaking wet in sweat as he is doing physical work all day long.
Yes, it sucks wearing a mask all day but around here, stores are air conditioned. IMO If someone feels the need to wear their mask incorrectly then they should either ask to take a break for some temporary relief, or not be in a position where they are exposing themselves to other people.
@MaineLonghorn the hospital(s) your D works at may require her to wear specific PPE that they recommend or provide. Maybe not. But if she is going to be in pretty close contact her PPE will likely be highly monitored.
Around here no extra people are allowed into the hospitals. For maternity, only the patient and one other person (father, partner, birth coach). My friend has been catering meals for different departments at two hospitals and I’m not sure how far into the hospital she can go.
I drove my brother to an appointment and after waiting in the car for an hour I tried to go in to use the bathroom. Nope.
I work at a healthcare facility and had to be “fitted” for my n95 mask. We stock over 10 different types of n95’s and it is definitely not one size fits all. I have a small face and wear the 3M 1870 N95.
@Iglooo I’d forgotten @dietz199 was a dentist. In any event, just going by what I googled. BTW most of the hits are notoriously biased and/or sensationalist news sources.
Eye covering is very important too. When I was working back in the dinosaur years and PPE was non existent in UHC, I wore non RX clear glasses to work. My kid now wears them. Safety glasses often can fit almost as well as googles without looking so odd, even with side covers. If you work front facing, you should cover your eyes.
Asymptomatic yet infected people who **can’t **wear a mask are just as infectious as people who **won’t **wear a mask.
Many of these people claiming medical exemptions seem to think that they should be allowed to go anywhere maskless. The ADA protection they claim does not give them unfettered access to anywhere they want to go. Most stores offer perfectly good accommodations-curbside pickup or delivery. For airline travel, I think there should be no medical exemption at all-because no reasonable accommodation can be made for them short of giving them carte blanche to infect other people.
People who can’t stand wearing a mask all day probably shouldn’t be working a job which puts them in constant contact with the public. They aren’t magically non-contagious just because they are tired of wearing the mask or are worried that they will have oral health problems.