face masks

Last week the CDC recommended that everyone wear face masks when leaving their homes and since then some places such as Los Angeles have even made laws requiring the practice.

My understanding is that this isn't a protective measure for the wearer as such, you would need a fancier version than the basic scarf or other cloth covering the CDC is suggesting for that. The hope is that folks with face coverings will prevent the wearer from spreading the virus if they've already contracted it by catching anything leaving a person's mouth or nose area when they say cough or clear their throat.

Some of my coworkers have been wearing masks for a while now but most still are not. Included in the mask-less crowd is the head boss of our store who has taken to scolding employees for not working six feet from each other. Customers have maybe been 40-60 wearing to not wearing.

There are plenty of your standard medical looking paper or cloth masks coming through the store but I've also seen a number of hand sewn masks made with great prints that I assume could fetch a pretty penny on etsy. The more interesting selections have included a few construction type respirators and even one person in a gas mask. I saw someone with vampire fangs the other day and one of my coworkers has quite happily taken  the opportunity to wear his skull face mask at work. The most bizarre face covering I've come across so far has been the long gray sleeve strapped and hanging from one guy's face. His matching gray sweat suit gave the impression of a cheaply made, last minute elephant Halloween costume.

I myself started wearing a mask only recently and reluctantly. Its probably silly but mostly I've kind of felt like its not "cool" to be a mask person. I also assumed, correctly as it unfortunately turns out, that it would make work hotter and stuffier especially when doing heavy work like moving pallets or loading and unloading vehicles.

In the end though I figured that since I've been openly critical of my store's lack of concern for the safety of folks working there I should do whatever small piece I can to help out. It was particularly jarring to read that two Walmart employees from the same store died recently from the virus. Its real that working people like us are in greater danger because we have to face the crowds day in and day out.

So I searched "diy face mask" on the web and when I found the Quick Cut T-shirt Face Covering (no sew method) on the CDC's website went with that since I'm not a great sewer and don't actually have a machine. The design coupled with the dark gray tee shirt I cut up has caused more than one of the folks I work with to tell me that I look like a ninja. I guess wearing a mask doesn't have to be uncool after all.