facial masks

[robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

Laurie Garrett says: "Masks are useless when worn outdoors and may not be
very helpful even indoors. Most masks deteriorate after one or two
wearings. Using the same mask day after day is worse than
useless—it’s disgusting, as
the contents of your mouth and nose eventually coat the inside of the mask
with a smelly veneer that is attractive to bacteria. I rarely wear a face
mask in an epidemic, and I have been in more than 30 outbreaks. Instead, I
stay away from crowds, and I keep my distance from individual
people—a half meter, about 1.5 feet, is a good
standard. If someone is coughing or sneezing, I ask them to put on a
mask—to protect me from their potentially
contaminated fluids. If they decline, I step a meter (about 3 feet) away
from them, or I leave. Don’t shake hands or hug
people—politely beg off, saying
it’s better for both of you not to come in close
contact during an epidemic."