Flu Season Fashion
May 4, 2009 8:11 PM   Subscribe

The flu craze might be reason to stay inside, but it's not stopping Mexicans from going out in style. It might even be the next fad north of the border, thanks to radio morning show DJs in cities such as Chicago. If you act now, you can submit your own design here just in time for Cinco de Mayo. But what do you know, some fashion designers already had the new fad planned out. But they can't ultimately claim the credit, for the Japanese have been putting their masks on for a long time.
posted by inkyroom (34 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Look, seriously? I think it is bad enough that I get looks like I'm about to murder children or burst out into song when I wear a mask in public in the US. Can we just ... not do this? It would be a very good thing if more people wore masks, especially when they are sick or there is a nasty bug going around.

The horrible sanitation on most public transit, the instance in American culture that YOU MUST GO TO WORK no matter how sick you are, and my own shit immune system have long necessitated that I do so or I get 2-3 very severe colds a winter. This year I've been lucky, and ONLY maned to get viral bronchitis. This is even with washing hands, face, etc, and wearing a mask, religiously. And every day, getting on the bus or train, SOMEONE gives me a look, moves away from me, or starts eyeing me nervously.
posted by strixus at 8:21 PM on May 4, 2009


Where can I get a mask? Drug store doesn't seem to have 'em.
posted by grobstein at 8:28 PM on May 4, 2009


Tapa bocas
posted by tellurian at 8:50 PM on May 4, 2009


I think masks are a great idea, and as a 14-year resident of Japan, I am thoroughly accustomed to seeing them everywhere. I wear them on occasion myself, although I have a big problem with them: when breathing out, the exhale goes out through the top (cause they never seal up tight enough around there, what with my long gaijin nose) and my glasses fog up. It's a drag.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:59 PM on May 4, 2009


Where can I get a mask? Drug store doesn't seem to have 'em.

Hey, grobstein, dude, you were in Tokyo. You even came to a meetup. And you didn't stock up on masks while here? Tsk tsk.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:00 PM on May 4, 2009


This is where I buy mine.

I've also bought the RiteAid brand ones, but I don't find them as comfortable. I prefer tie on to elastic, but that's primarily because I have a small head.
posted by strixus at 9:04 PM on May 4, 2009


Over in the cancelled Mexico City meetup thread they mentioned the mask shortage too.
posted by tellurian at 9:08 PM on May 4, 2009


Mine was handed to me at my office - a department of the Mexican government. (I quickly drew a mouth and goatee on it, of course.)
posted by ATXile at 9:13 PM on May 4, 2009


Have they really not thought to put a pig's snout on there?
posted by Sys Rq at 9:35 PM on May 4, 2009 [2 favorites]


(patent pending)
posted by Sys Rq at 9:35 PM on May 4, 2009


Guys, masks don't prevent you from getting the flu from other people. They prevent other people from getting the flu from you, like for when you sneeze. In your mask. And now you have a nasty, spit-snot-soaked mask, but you haven't infected others.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:38 PM on May 4, 2009 [2 favorites]


Cinco de Mayo's on Tuesday.
posted by Sailormom at 10:02 PM on May 4, 2009


dirigibleman I beg to differ.

A mask (if you wear glasses) can prevent the two most common ways the flu (and every other virus and bacteria with air and contact transmission) spreads. 1) Some asshole sneezes in your face. Without a mask, you breath in his snot particles, and it now covers your face. With a mask, hes just sneezed on your mask, and you haven't breathed the crap in. 2) Some asshole sneezes into his hand, touches something, you touch it, then scratch your nose or mouth. Without a mask, the hand to face transmission is a very common vector - even with hand washing. With a mask, you cannot directly touch your hand to your nose or mouth without much effort.
posted by strixus at 10:06 PM on May 4, 2009


Have they really not thought to put a pig's snout on there?

Of course they have.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:31 PM on May 4, 2009


Quite a few people wearing them in Hong Kong today - for no real reason other stupid panic.
posted by awfurby at 10:40 PM on May 4, 2009


Without a mask, you breath in his snot particles, and it now covers your face. With a mask, hes just sneezed on your mask, and you haven't breathed the crap in.

Sounds like a good argument to wear glasses too, since viruses can enter through the eye ducts.

The new black:
fashion mask and matching non-prescription glasses.
posted by eye of newt at 10:51 PM on May 4, 2009


Have they really not thought to put a pig's snout on there?
*cough*
posted by tellurian at 10:54 PM on May 4, 2009


Today I saw a mother leading two children with masks on through a gas station parking lot. They were standing in the middle of traffic, exactly in front of my car and instead of being bothered by how quickly and easily I could have plowed the family down, I was bothered by the masks. They're frightening. And on children.
When I see people in these masks, all I can think of is mass hysteria, mass hysteria, mass hysteria.
posted by thebellafonte at 10:57 PM on May 4, 2009


oh please. fashion is for the weak willed, lolpigs are the future.
posted by jeffburdges at 11:19 PM on May 4, 2009


Masks DO NOT KEEP INFECTION OUT. Viruses are very tiny - way tiny enough to get through the weave on a cheap drugstore mask. In fact, they're tiny enough to get through even high quality, individually fitted TB masks, and respirators that actually do keep out a larger percentage of viruses are really difficult to wear for extended periods.

A mask prevents a person who is actively sneezing or coughing from getting her/his spittle all over you. A coughing or sneezing person who must go out (to the drug store or hospital or herbalists office or what not) should wear a mask. Otherwise, that coughing/sneezing person should stay home and drink tea. Everyone else who wears a mask is just promoting an atmosphere of hysteria.

To repeat: there is not evidence that supports the use of masks in everyday enviroments to prevent infection.
posted by serazin at 11:31 PM on May 4, 2009


Another Nick Cave thread, I see.
posted by GeckoDundee at 11:55 PM on May 4, 2009


Safety Pigs.
posted by Gamien Boffenburg at 12:42 AM on May 5, 2009


-shakes head-

Did I advocate running out to the drug store to buy some cheep mask? No. I in fact linked to a place you can buy even the N-95 masks which are discussed in that article serazin.

FDA Guidelines for masks and respirators.

If worn properly, a facemask is meant to help block large-particle droplets, splashes, sprays or splatter that may contain germs (viruses and bacteria) from reaching your mouth and nose. Facemasks may also help reduce exposure of your saliva and respiratory secretions to others.

While a facemask may be effective in blocking splashes and large-particle droplets, a facemask, by design, does not filter or block very small particles in the air that may be transmitted by coughs, sneezes or certain medical procedures. Facemasks also do not provide complete protection from germs and other contaminants because of the loose fit between the surface of the facemask and your face.


And yes, masks aren't much protection against fully air born viruses. They are, however, good protection against getting fluid (such as aspirated mucous) which carry viruses and bacteria into your mucous membranes. I didn't mention protective eyewear because I wear glasses, and in general try my damndest to keep my hands out of my eyes at all times.

No, a face mask alone cannot stop the flu, or SARS, or any other determined low particulate sized pathogen. A face mask can be another layer of protection, however, for those of us who know from experience we are susceptible to infections more readily than the general population.

All I know is this. I've gone from regularly having severe colds/flus/infections on a 3-4 month basis to having 1-2 moderate infections a year since I started wearing face masks (Good ones, mind you, and only used once) in combination with using good sanitation and infection prevention techniques.

If that makes me hysterical, fine. But I'll keep wearing one on public transit, on the street, or in other close quarters situations, regardless of what the rest of you think of it. And if it means I get the only seat on the bus with no one sitting next to me - great.
posted by strixus at 12:47 AM on May 5, 2009


there's always the obvious
posted by debbie_ann at 5:31 AM on May 5, 2009


Sorry for being overly harsh strixus. Still, you did actually say you had bought cheap drugstore masks in the past and didn't say anything in your link about what masks work better. As you know, even N-95 masks aren't protective. Furthermore, buying them in a catalog is of concern because for them to work, they should be sized and fitted to your face - hospital workers who wear these for contact with patient's with TB for example, can not have this patient contact until they've had individual mask fittings.

Also, having one of these paper masks against your mouth and nose for extended periods is of questionable safety because they may allow moisture from sneezes and coughs to spend longer periods next to your skin.

While your individual story sounds compelling, I'm sure you realize there's no way to be clear what is reducing the number of colds you have each year, or even to be sure that your perception is 100% accurate. We really need controlled studies of mask use before we start advocating them for the general public.
posted by serazin at 10:13 AM on May 5, 2009


strixus, you are very defensive about your masking behavior.
posted by found missing at 10:18 AM on May 5, 2009 [2 favorites]


Several years ago when SARS was looking to take over the world, I remember seeing footage of people walking various cities in China wearing masks. I told my friend we should make some customized masks and sell them on the internet. He said there wouldn't be a big enough market. I said China alone would be a big enough market. He said, dude, don't bogart that joint.
posted by Sailormom at 10:45 AM on May 5, 2009


Masks keep you from rubbing your face with infected hands, and keep your sneeze juices from covering other people. Of course, just not touching your face, and using your elbow when sneezing does the same thing.
posted by edgeways at 11:43 AM on May 5, 2009


Well, whatever defeats the surveillance cameras and biometric software.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:31 PM on May 5, 2009 [2 favorites]


Sorry if I do come off a bit defensive about this - it really gets under my skin the sorts of looks and comments people give you when you wear a mask in public in the US. I honestly think some times I'd get less weird looks wearing a biohazard suit in public.

I personally use the Dynarex brand masks, usually their Procedure Face Masks, Tie-on Style. They fit my head fairly well, are easy to adjust to various sizes, and I find tend to be the most durable for the short term wear (an hour and a half max). They are not thin paper, but rather a thicker, fibrous material. Even the RiteAid brand masks I've used in the past aren't the cheep paper ones - they were fairly good quality, meant for home care and first aid. Too, you cannot wear the same mask for extended periods of time - you have to use them properly for them to work at all.

I acknowledge that more studies need to be done - but I'd rather continue using them for the time being because they do seem very much to help. Sure, it might be other things that have helped, but the correlation for me seems solid enough to continue the practice, even if there is a third cause present.

The real issue I think, is that so many workers in the US are forced into positions where THEY MUST come to work, no matter how sick they are, yet at the same time take no steps to avoid spreading what they have. I've personally seen people on public transit in the city I live where I honestly felt I should have called 911 for them - they looked so ill they should have been in the hospital, not going to work. To go out in public when you are seriously ill just seems so unwise and discourteous I can't wrap my brain around it. If you must, at least take steps to avoid spreading the infection - carry alcohol wipes, wash your hands, wear a mask, or use a hankie to cover your nose and mouth. Don't sit on a bus, or a train or plane, sneezing, coughing, hacking, etc, without covering your nose and mouth, especially when the area is packed.

Since so many people seem to be unwilling to this when ill, it then falls upon those of us who know we get sick easily to try to avoid catching what they are spreading. If that means using techniques which are only partially effective, fine. But I use them in conjunction with many many other techniques, all of which are only partially effective. And it's never going to be 100% effective, nothing is. But better one more line of defense.
posted by strixus at 8:57 PM on May 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Hey strixus, thanks for being a model of good metafilter conflict management. I appreciate your lack of defensiveness etc. It's good to be able to respectfully disagree here.

And I TOTALLY do agree about how expectations around work are a huge part of the problem. Personally, I've sent my kid to school when I should have kept her home because I didn't have enough childcare and HAD to work. It really sucked to do something that I knew was wrong for her and for her classmates.
posted by serazin at 10:04 PM on May 5, 2009


"The real issue I think, is that so many workers in the US are forced into positions where THEY MUST come to work, no matter how sick they are, yet at the same time take no steps to avoid spreading what they have."

I have violent dreams. Of Armageddon sometimes. Nightmares (which is why I'm still up at this time). The sirens. The clouds. Children screaming. The specific disaster varies, but the chaos and dread of impending doom is the same.
And the worst most unreal part is, people are still getting on the trains and going to f'ing work and now that you bring it up and I sit and think about it, that's probably what would really happen. "Hi, Jerry? Yeah, I see a mushroom cloud over the city and I thought I should call in to see if...oh, you do? Oh, we are? Two o'clock in the conference room. Ok, I'll, uh, be in then..."
posted by Smedleyman at 11:01 PM on May 5, 2009 [2 favorites]


when breathing out, the exhale goes out through the top (cause they never seal up tight enough around there, what with my long gaijin nose) and my glasses fog up. It's a drag.

I have the same problem, especially on the train during the morning rush when things get a bit steamy. I've seen these in stores but never tried them. Perhaps they might do the trick?
posted by armage at 11:06 PM on May 6, 2009


the sad tragedy of this mask craze is that masks are no longer effective at insulting or embarrassing smokers. :(
posted by jeffburdges at 7:37 AM on May 7, 2009 [1 favorite]


« Older bill stickers will be prosecuted.   |   Make It, Fly It Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments