Sailor Brinkley Cook is the daughter of Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook. Sheās 21 years old and a model. Sheās been riding out the quarantine lockdown in New York. On Wednesday, she stepped out in Brooklyn with her boyfriend Ben Sosne, and you can see her quarantine-walk vibe, which included two N95 masks.
Sailor Brinkley-Cook Claps Back Against Criticism for Wearing a N95 Mask in Public https://t.co/sNqI3Tlh9V
— E! News (@enews) April 2, 2020
Those are the masks which are used by medical professionals, and those are the masks in limited supply in hospitals around the country. Doctors and nurses are dying because they donāt have access to the proper medical gear, like these masks. And Sailor and her boyfriend were just wandering down a Brooklyn sidewalk with those masks on. So people yelled at her. And she responded on her Instagram Stories, writing:
āTo everyone reaching out (very angrily) about me having a maskā¦My mom is an artist and does projects that require her to wear a mask. We didnāt buy them upon hearing about the spread of COVID-19. She kept one mask for each one of our family members and then donated the rest to local hospitals.ā
She continued, by saying that her mom has been tracking down supplies for hospitals, while also donating 30% of proceeds from her brand Bellissima Prosecco to Direct Relief Foundation, an organization supplying hospitals with PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment). Brinkley-Cook also said that she and her boyfriend are ādonating daily to organizations helping to create masksā¦. When we go to the grocery store or out on a walk we wear them so that god forbid if we might have [COVID-19] and donāt know we donāt spread it to someone less able to fight it off. Please stop sending me hateful messages, and stay safeā¤ļø.ā
While it looks bad – it really does – her explanation makes sense, and I believe that Christie probably did donate the extras. Besides, the surgeon general is now encouraging everyone (regular people) to wear masks whenever they go outside. This, after weeks of telling civilians to not wear masks, and to donate their masks to medical workers. Iām just saying, if weāre told to start wearing masks, I WONāT HAVE ANY! And Sailor will.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
I do think people are a bit quick to pile on at the moment (well, as much as ever). In this situation I donāt think she did anything wrong.
Pile on those who stockpiled loads to sell at marked-up heinous prices, not those who are using them individually to help stop the spread.
At least Amazon and Ebay put a stop to a lot of that.
I do wonder if this is going to wind up with another set of “common sense” laws being passed limiting the sale amounts of N95 masks beyond corporate and healthcare needs. Legitimately, there really shouldn’t be a capability for one person to walk in and buy excessive amounts of them at once and clearing out shelves because there are caretakers for the sick that need them even outside emergency situations.
N95 masks have always been identified as important to have as part of a preparedness kit and I don’t think people should be prohibited from owning them.
The problem is those that hoarded them along with the administration’s failure to lift a finger to prepare and acquire more.
Everyone should donate what they have but once we get out of this mess, I hope that there is enough stock so that every person has a few boxes (depending on family size) in their emergency kits.
My sister has had construction going on at her property for almost a year. The workers have always used these masks. My sister and bro in law were given a mask to wear while in the construction site. They are washing and reusing the same one mask each, as they are dealing with a lot people, and also running to get groceries and Rx for me and my dad (so we don’t have to go out- I’m immunocompromised and dad’s 92 with high blood pressure- and their own family) They donated the rest to my BIL’s best friend, who is a geriatric specialist doctor in Seattle (who is sharing them).
Until a few weeks ago, N95s were always in stock at the hardware store around the corner. They were commonly used on construction sites.
My apartment building had a stash for the Super to use when he was doing work around the building. When all of this started, he asked my husband (who is the Building President) if he could give them to some of our building residents, who are physicians. I know he held on to one or two – he was wearing one when I saw him in the lobby, wiping the mailboxes down with bleach. I’m glad he has them and is using them to help keep himself and all of us safe.
Amazon fired an employee for raising concerns about worker safety at their Staton Island ‘fulfillment’ complex. So as always f#ck Amazon & Jeff Bezos
Yeah, to clarify, Iām not saying they shouldnāt be available, but businesses who need them are always going to be purchasing in bulk from corporate distributors that likely require some level of credentialing. What Iām wondering is if *retail* distributors are going to see laws coming down the road for limitations on sales to *individuals* for medically significant supplies is my meaning. Iām wondering if that would at least offset some of the hoarding and price gouging.
I agree with you like seriously people I’m an artist too and have two old n95 masks stained with a layer of wood dust from the shop probably from a project 20 years ago I saved them because I save shit like that that I knew I could use again in the shop I refuse to be shamed over two semi-dirty 95 masks by people who have no idea of my life or circumstance This is getting out of control
I bought one in 2012 that I used because my son was in the NICU at the time and we found it recently under the sink in the bathroom. But I don’t dare wear it because people will think I’m evil or something!
I have two from a glassblowing class from three years ago. I wore one today and swear I got dirty looks.
She has every right to wear the mask to protect herself.
@Rae I 100% agree with you. She absolutely did nothing wrong and neither did Christie Brinkley. If I was a mom, you bet I would give my children a mask before donating to the medical community after hearing from the feds that everyone should be wearing a mask.
Everyone should be wearing a *cloth* mask is the recommendation. Please donāt use this misstatement of todayās recommendation to justify keeping masks from doctors and nurses who are trying to help people.
Iām with Sailor. Are hospitals really going to take old and used masks? Iāve got an old one too from when I painted a few rooms in my house a couple of years ago. I wear it to prevent myself from touching my face or transmitting anything if I absolutely have to go out for something.
100% this. I actually have a couple of masks that I bought three years ago — I had a little mold growing in my basement and it was recommend I use protective equipment including a facemask when I bleached it.
It was actually cheaper to get a pack of 3 rather than one so I still have the other two but since the package is opened it can’t be donated– while I have not worn them out and about yet, I certainly will if the CDC or my local government recommends it.
My husband found 4 in the trunk of our car last week that he used on an old painting job several years ago. We kept 2 and gave 2 to an elderly couple that live in our condo complex. We also got an email about 2 weeks ago that someone here testd positive. Scary times.
Sailor is right. People should beat up on the people who are acting like privileged asshats, like those morons who didnāt allow an ER physician trying to volunteer at Bellevue to live in his brotherās apartment in their coop building, not people protecting their own health with a used mask her mother had before the pandemic. Sailor needs her mask.
My mom had to go to the ER two weeks ago because she was coughing up blood. They tested her for COVID-19 and made me wear this exact same blue N95 mask. She doesnāt have the disease. She had a strain of pneumonia. I kept the mask and wear it to shop now. If ANYBODY says a word to me, they are getting a verbal beat down. My husband also has a few from a box he purchased a few years ago so that he could do work around our house. We have 8. He wants to keep them for the four of us. We are in California and will donate 4 of them to a local hospital when they ask for them. Our local hospitals havenāt been inundated just yet, but that may come.
I have a few leftover from our home renovations. I haven’t broken them out yet, but we have them. I’d donate them but the package was opened two years ago. Right now I’m wearing an adorable cloth mask with elephants on it for work. Everyone here has one and we all wash them every night when we go home. No, I’m not in the medical field. I just work at the airport.
I mean…my mother has an N95 mask leftover from when she did her basement, and I have an N95-level Vogmask that I purchased before sh*t really hit the fan because I traveled for my job and was a major risk even before its major spread here. So what she’s saying it totally believable to me.
I get why people are angry with her – it’s not just the lack of response of the federal government, it’s what this is revealing about income inequality – but I do think it’s misaimed because she’s an easy target. It gives us a sense of control to be angry at one person instead of the much larger and corrupt forces at work here.
Exactly It’s totally misaimed Lots of people especially creative folks and teaching artists whose livelihoods are being severely affected by this have purchased now or in the past these kinds of masks It was no big deal “back then” (anywhere from two months ago to twenty years) Its part of the tools of the trade
Yes I completely agree. People are legitimately terrified because we were told first nothing and then one thing and now another, so it was next to impossible to prepare adequately. Even a cloth mask is better than nothing, theyāre saying now, and everyone apparently should wear them. I feel confused, it is hard to keep things straight, on top of the general stress of this pandemic. Attacking her is scapegoating. That should be directed at our incompetent government and yes, the brutal wealth hierarchy in this country.
There is absolutely no way to tell when someone purchased and how many they have or whether they’re hoarding or if they are contagious or have a loved one who needs them to wear the mask to stay safe or the fact that we all should be wearing them I’m an artist with very limited income Having an N95 does not represent income inequality It means that I was working on a wood shop project ten or twenty years ago so long I can’t even remember and I saved my two masks that were lightly used with sawdust So I just can’t get with this idea of an N95 automatically indicating something to do with income inequality There are lots and lots of reasons that some people have masks on hand well before this pandemic
I also have a couple of N95 that I purchased several months ago when a recycling plant a mile from me burned down and the air was full of ash and toxins for days. Iāve been reusing one the few time Iāve had to go out and now Iām afraid someoneās going to scream at me for having it. Iāve offered the other to a firefighter and two doctors who both declined. Since there are no other masks to be found at this point, not sure what to do.
Iām an artist and work with ceramics. I have a four VERY old green N95. So old that on some the little nose strip is crumbling. They can not be donated (and should not as they are used.) when I wear mine I tie a bandana Iāve fit for fear that people will assume I rushed out and bought them.
Good idea! I have two I use for working with metals and other art projects. I don’t want to get yelled at either, so the bandana is going on top now! Thanks!
So I have 4-5 masks in my garage left over after a kitchen Renovation job last summer. I offered to donate them but since they were opened they wouldnāt take them when I offered to. So I believe her.
I made myself some cloth masks if I have to go to the grocery store and wear gloves. I will only wear that N95 if I come down with corona and have to go to get tested or self isolate from the kids. Just wearing them for dog walking is a waste IMO (a surgical mask would work for that) but sheās in NYC so I think Iād feel differently if I was there.
I use my mask every time I am in an enclosed public area, and the only time I am is while shopping at supermarkets. Iāve been using it since I got it.
The guy at the meat counter was wearing one and we were very cheery to each other, sort of acknowledging each other about it. In my town, many Asian peeps were wearing them, and they were targets for ridicule to a lot of people. Two weeks ago, wearing a mask made you an alien. Now that science has determined that it spreads via aerosol from people with no symptoms, we no longer look like paranoid fools.
It sounds reasonable to me.
I recently unearthed a box of two N95 masks in my closet – I must have bought them for some now forgotten project. But now that the message is changing about masks, Iāll be holding onto them and wearing one if it is deemed necessary.
God help whoever comes at me because theyāre assuming Iāve got a hoard of them somewhere.
My parents found a couple in their storage that they will use. Iām not even sure they are the actual N95, but might just be something similar.
I found some other masks in my house, donated most (they accepted them as a backup) and kept 2 or 3 for myself.
I cannot believe how badly the federal government has handled this.
I have a few also, and Iāve been wearing them since mid March when I go to the supermarket. The whole āmasks donāt helpā line fed to the public by the government infuriates me. I guess they think we are all stupid and selfish. I mean, of course, they work. Why does everyone think health care worker and first responders need them? People in other countries have been wearing them because of air pollution for ages. I wish the government had the decency to tell people that yes, they work; but make your own and limit the N95 for those in the front line. So much information coming from the government lacks common sense.
I was ready to call her a spoiled brat and a terrible person,but actually I believe what she said.Before all of this became as huge as we know it to be I just had a weird feeling,so I started to pick up an extra pack of tp here and there (I have Crohn’s disease and sometimes make many trips to the bathroom,tmi-sorry)I also bought several hand soaps and a few bottles of hand sanitizer,glad I did.During late February I tried to find masks and couldn’t-my husband even went to the hardware store to find some and they were even out.
Idk what we are supposed to do if we are out and don’t own a mask,my best guess is to wear a scarf and wash it, or since I’m a turtle neck wearer,I’ll pull it up over my mouth…
I’ve read that a scarf is okay. I’ve also been seeing instructions on how to make them yourself. Quite a few people I know are making them, some more simple and some more elaborate, with a sewing machine. Here’s a link to make one that seems pretty easy:
https://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie?fbclid=IwAR0ei08cHnxc9puNHYwQC0_gfruJ02DjKc5uhyRCkj51XNkQIgciXGQ-f-8
Iām in a group of people who make masks (because I have sheets to donate, Iām useless and canāt sew). I saw a post last night saying Shop Towels filter 2 to 3 times more stuff out. If you have access to shop towels you could use that as a type of scarf/bandana.
Here’s a really good video on making a mask from shop towels, no sewing required…just towels, stapler and rubber bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mai-UqdNRi8
THANK YOU, ClaraBelle!! This is invaluable to people who can’t sew or have access to a machine. You can even do this with a thick (cut down) dish towel, or anything else you have around the house.
Everyone should RT this, or at the least, share it with your email list!
You can buy them on Etsy. I find it so sad that people have to justify everything they do these days. Who knows what kind of health issues a seemingly healthy person has? I remember being in waiting room of Sloan Kettering with my brother waiting for his chemo. A lot of people came with 3 or 4 family members or friends for support. Unless they were in a wheelchair, which a few were, it was not possible to pick out which person in the group was there for the chemo because everyone looked healthy.
This! So much!
Thanks everyone for the info on masks,making them or wearing scarves et al. Much appreciated!
And yes @ FHMom,you are absolutely correct we should not judge- we really don’t know who is ill,therefore in need of their own mask,gloves or whatever.I almost never look sick even when I am,and have been treated unkindly by various people who tell me I’m young and healthy…I remember an old lady approaching me at a restaurant while we were all waiting to be seated and she asked me to get out of the chair so she could sit,I did,but she didn’t know that I was walking around anemic,and maybe a week out of hospital…..We all should be more gracious (myself included)bc I judge too quickly too sometimes.
I find it problematic to call someone you don’t know a spoiled brat because she used a mask to protect herself I’m sorry but there are a lot of reasons why people have a particular mask and if people start walking around judging every single person that is crazy There is no way to know people’s circumstances even if we think we do because they are in the public eye She shouldn’t even have to defend herself but I guess that’s what happens when the general public sees someone of means and makes assumptions She has said her mother gave one to each child Keep in mind that her mother is in the very critical age bracket and this young woman also has a right to protect herself
If you are responding to me, I said I was about to call her a spoiled brat but I didn’t and I believe everything she said.I know making quick assumptions isn’t right,during this time my gut response upon reading the headline of this article was that she was out unnecessarily like so many,especially so many young kids who are understandably bored doing something and posting about it.
After reading it, I think she’s just fine.The obvious problem isn’t one person wearing a mask,the problem is the constant changing advice we are all receiving,and the fact that some are hoarding and especially the lack of all PPE for medical professionals.
Don’t be sorry for sharing about your Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We need more awareness of it! I have Ulcerative Colitis and also use the bathroom more than the average bear, so we always tend to have too much tp rather than too little. How long have you been dx with IBD? I’m going on 17 years now.
Maybe you can find someone near you who is sewing cloth face masks? We had two people here at the airport make a whole bunch for all of the workers here. It’s better than nothing.
I’ve had Crohn’s since I was 12,so 32 years now-stressing over this pandemic isn’t helping.
You are correct that we need more awareness,but I see so much more understanding now than I did even 10 years ago,so that’s good.
I hope you stay well during all of this ā¤ļø
Iām in a similar situation. My husband is an artist who sometimes works with spray paints and solvents and other stuff he doesnāt want to be breathing in, and it turns out this whole time heās had a stash of N95 masks in the basement that he bought a couple years ago. And Iāve got some flu masks I bought last year because some trees near one of my bus stops make me cough my head off every spring, and the masks help. We havenāt bought any new ones since well before the pandemic began, but Iām nervous to wear them in public because I donāt want people to think I’ve been hoarding them.
And now we’re SUPPOSED to wear them in public? Oy.
Where are people finding all these masks? I’ve never had one in my entire life but then I don’t paint, refurbish, or do any home improvement myself.
This entire topic is stressing me out and I feel terrible for scientists who are being bullied into making statements about masks every day. There is no scientific evidence that they work or don’t work in everyday life if people stick to good hygiene and keeping a distance. But because you cannot prove a negative, the German RKI has now said that they MIGHT POTENTIALLY do something. Well, yeah. Scientists usually deal in probabilities not absolutes. Now people are losing their shit. “Yes of course, I knew from day 1! Conspiracy!” No, they are saying the same thing they did weeks ago. This is a massive communication problem.
If someone is working in the healthcare system it makes sense to wear a mask. But the two trips per week I make to the supermarket where people are already super careful to keep a distance? I’m not taking a mask away from my best friend who works in a hospital and whose husband has asthma.
And are these N95 masks reusable?
I hear you and I was with you on this until I started realizing how many people may actually have the virus and just not know it. If there’s any chance you might unknowingly transmit the virus, it seems like wearing a mask just in case is a good idea. For everyone.
It would be if there were masks. There aren’t. At least not if you don’t find them in your basement. The problem with saying things like “Fine, it might help.” is that now people are freaking out (I’m talking about Germany only) because they are simply not available. You can’t buy any. And I personally can’t sew to save my life. So panic and/or conspiracy theories abound. The rate of new infections in Germany is slowing slightly so let’s hope our measures are the right ones. Because if masks are what will make the difference, we’re sh*t out of luck.
It’s not just a matter of not breathing germs in, it’s keeping YOUR germs from spreading out. You can be a totally asymptomatic carrier, never feeling ill, but *shedding* the virus.
Look above at ClaraBelle’s post. There is a good vid on how to make a mask WITHOUT sewing…just a thicker paper towel, rubber bands, and a stapler. You can use anything I’d think: a cut down towel, or a dish towel… Just cover up! You can even buy “home made” masks on Etsy.
A bus driver died, days after a woman on his bus coughed 4-5 times WITHOUT COVERING HER MOUTH ONCE!. DIED!
This is no joking matter.
That story seems… well. This is what I meant by panic. Again, most people here don’t wear masks and infections are slowing down.
I believe they are reusable for non medical personnel as long as they donāt get wet. Itās best that people working with Covid 19 throw them out to not contaminate themselves or someone who doesnāt have Covid 19. Unfortunately, a lot of health workers have to reuse them and are storing them in paper bags.
Home Depot, specifically for a painting and flooring project. We’ve had them for two years and I’d donate the rest of the package but it’s been opened and they won’t take it. I’m wearing a cloth mask right now but if someone in my home becomes sick or I become sick, I’ll break out an N95 mask. Or if someone in my small gated community gets diagnosed. We’re doing pretty well at social distancing but mail call is only from 3-4pm, so I get a little too close to people when I go to get our mail.
Same here. Have 2 left from renovating. Since they are not in a sealed packing, no one will take them as donation.
I have a single P95 mask and this is why I donāt wear it out. Itās 10 years old and been used multiple times before but some busybody would ask why it hasnāt been donated.
We shouldnāt get mad at each other for trying to protect ourselves and our families. We should be mad at the government for fucking up supply so badly that weāre in this position.
Exactly Thank you @VKES
Yes! Don’t get distracted by the crumbs when the government is running off with the whole damn cake.
I bout my N95 mask in February, I saw the prognosis and trajectory of the virus in other countries and got prepared just in case. I also watched videos of scientists and virologists (@peak prosperity on YouTube) who were sounding the alarm. They used data/math/fact! of the exponential growth of the virus in other countries to illustrate that it was only a matter of time in the US and not when. So what did I do? Get prepared and warn friends and family. Even though I was called an alarmist. I wear my n95 mask to the grocery store and Iād love to have someone insult me for it. Itās clear we are all on our own in this situation. Because otherwise, the WHO and surgeon general wouldnāt lie to the masses about wearing masks- Singapore, Hong Kong sent masks to their citizens as one of the mitigation strategies and it worked! The virus is also spread via aerosol and there are people that are asymptomatic and should be wearing a mask. It also lingers in the air for hours. Again, the data has been out there since January from Chinese and Singaporean doctors. The reason why they initially said we shouldnāt is because they unlike some every day citizens were unprepared, despite getting classified briefings and seeing what other countries was experienced. I recommend you all wear a mask and not shame people that were prepared before this thing. Itās the responsibility of the government to be prepared and properly equip our HCP with the appropriate resources. Why is she being shamed for understanding the true manner of transmission and wanting to protect herself.
I think more people are angry that there are medical staff wearing bandanas while treated positive patients and someone like Sailor is walking around the city wearing a mask that the medical community so badly needs. Is the anger misplaced? Maybe. But I get being frustrated also.
Definitely understand the frustration but that should not be directed to people wearing N95 masks. We have no idea what their situation is–does someone have a sick relative at home for whom they are shopping and they need this to stay safe and avoid being a carrier?–or whether as in this case it is the one mask that someone had from eons ago or whether it was used and couldn’t be donated or any other number of scenario. I believe that our anger should be placed on the government and their gross mishandling of this and complete lack of support for us as a nation. Individuals walking around protecting themselves and their loved ones should be allowed to do so in peace to handle the grave situation we’re all in together. Iknow that especially in this country and even more since 45 was elected the general way is to cancel/shame/attack but we’ve got to find a way to support and care for each other through this.
I definitely feel some guilt for having N95s at home, but they aren’t in sealed packaging so I can’t donate them. The next best thing is to utilize them if we need to. I’d feel even more guilt if I just tossed that perfectly good mask in the trash. I get the anger about professionals not having PPE and regular folks are out here wearing N95 masks. But how were they acquired and when? We don’t know. It would be nice if she would donate some supplies to the medical community, though. Or do SOMETHING to help out since she’s a fortunate one.
I completely agree. Here in the NY area, Patient Zero (who is now in recovery) infected over 80 people. He went to work, attended religious services and social situations. Iām sure he didnāt go around sneezing, coughing or spitting on people. Therefore, this is being caught by just being in his presence and breathing the same air. A dr. on CNN said that simply clearing your throat can cause the germs to spread. He pointed out that when you can see your breath on a cold day, that breath is made up of air droplets. Itās common sense that a mask would help. Even if it doesnāt stop you from being infected, it could keep others from being infected by you before you even realize you have the illness.
I’ve also seen that it will bring awareness to you to stop touching your face, which is a major way people are getting infected. For that reason, even a scarf or something would help, if you’re careful in how you put it on and take it off.
YASSSSS! I’ve been watching it all unfold since January as well and Peak Prosperity’s Youtube channel and Reddit have been great resources. I too bought masks and I’m not ashamed. I went to Home Depot and bought a box of 10 N95 masks because I knew my dingbat family would not be prepared. Now my sister, elderly parents and my husband and I all have masks. I have been wearing one for the last month when I need to run out for something. I also wear gloves when Im out and wipe them down continuously with a clorox wipe as I handle things. This virus is highly contagious and if you wait for our government to give it to you straight you will be SOL. The way this thing has been mishandled from way back in January when we had our first “official” case is atrocious. As Peak Prosperity says “It didn’t have to be this way”
Are we the same person? Lol
Same here. We have about five left over in an open box from a spray painting project several years ago. We called the hospitals and they wonāt take them. Offered them to the fireman down the street, he said heād take them to give to a doctor friend. If you donāt know a medical professional personally you canāt give them away, and Iāve read that some hospitals wonāt allow their doctors and nurses to even wear them because it scares patients and causes other medical professionals to question why they donāt have the same equipment.
She did nothing wrong and her response was very well written. Itās flat out wrong to yell at folks wearing this – who knows why they are wearing one, or how they got it? The only person we should be yelling at is Trump for creating this entire situation. He hasnāt even stopped mask exports to other countries, even now.
Goodness gracious she is stunning! I donāt blame her for wearing a mask when going out for necessities in NYC. As long as she isnāt hoarding masks I see no problem with her wearing one. I have a āprepperā as a brother and he had procured one mask for all five family members a long time ago. Again, GORGEOUS!!!!!
My husband and I found a 10-pack of N95 masks we had bought a year ago when we moved into our apartment because they were readily available then at our hardware store and we had planned to do some projects around the house. We dug them out when things started getting bad, kept two for ourselves because my parents are medical professionals and told us that despite the fact that the government was telling people masks were unnecessary we should be wearing them, and donated the rest to a friend who’s a nurse in one of the hospitals. It’s similar to what she did and I think it’s important, if you’re going outside, to take precautions to make sure you don’t end up in the ER adding to the surge of cases.
Other DIY masks can be found at Masks4All.
https://masks4all.co/how-to-make-a-homemade-mask/
Wow amazing resource! Thank you so much for posting @Jerusha
It is a bit unfair to pile on. We have a few of these masks in garage(about 8- total) leftover from the last few years during fire season when the air quality was so bad, and donāt think they are sterile enough to donate. I havenāt seen masks or hand sanitizer in the stores since February. We havenāt worn them in public during this pandemic but will keep them in case one of us gets sick or told we have to wear them in public.
Same here. Only have 2 new in package from a 10-pack I ordered following 2 horrendous fire seasons (had to wear the masks to get on and off public transit; when I didn’t, I’d feel ill for several hours). What happens if/when there’s a bad fire season this summer? Gotta be prepared because bad air is a much more immediate health concern for me. And when those fires happened, they were in multiple states and amazon was price gouging even then!
I also have dust allergies, and have started rewearing the already-open/used masks when dealing with switching out seasonal clothing, as even clean clothes get dusty while sitting. I use a respirator on the rare chance I spray paint. Shouldn’t everyone have at least one N95 mask for each person in the household anyway? They are part of our ‘safety kits’ provided to us at my workplace.
My husband bought the medical-grade masks for the fires in LA last year. He insists we wear them out and I don’t want to fight about it. We only have two each total and they were bought before this, so don’t assume everyone wearing one is a jerk. Some of us just have to pick our battles with our spouses. š
Meanwhile, this is a good radio interview from yesterday on KPCC AirTalk with an expert about masks, and there’s a site you can go to for making your own (I think I see the same link or another good one above).
https://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2020/04/02/65472/covid-19-what-s-the-guidance-on-face-masks-califor/
Same hereāafter the horrible fires in Northern California I bought masks for my family and my sisterās family. Now weāre afraid to use them.
Don’t be afraid to wear them. And honestly, this catastrophe will have lots of effects on our culture, including an overdue stop of this compulsive scolding from supreme ignorance. Socially nitpicking each other is a luxury that we don’t have anymore.
If people do want to confront or criticize folks, they better do it from the cozy security of their laptops, or else they may confront someone who’s not afraid to show a real-world rebuttal. There are a lot of jittery folks whose “crazy” is coming out.
And honestly, if I can hear what someone’s saying in public, they’re too gd close.
I had just one N95 mask (that is a few years old) in a family of 5. We decided only the designated grocery shopper (me) would use it when venturing out. That is, until I see my 5 year old son wandering into the living room naked, except he was wearing my mask as a thong/jockstrap as a joke.
Oops!!šššš
I needed that laugh today. Thanks for sharing!
We found two individually wrapped N95 masks and gave them to a police officer patrolling our neighborhood. Everything said not to go into a hospital to give them masks and we donāt know any nurses or doctors, so we at least wanted to get them to a first responder. I assume heād get them to the right people if he didnāt feel like he needed them. I ordered a cloth mask on amazon that Iāll wear in public.
If we had masks that were already used or unwrapped, we probably would have just kept them. A contaminated mask isnāt helping anyone.
What is wrong with people? Unless someone is clutching a case of masks and is either refusing to share or selling them for outrageous prices, just assume that theyāve got a mask and are trying to protect themselves. Just like we all are. No need to harass anybody. I found a few N95 masks in my Burning Man stuff. At that point no one was taking opened boxes, so I gave them to friends, weāre all over 65 with various health problems.
I donāt think anyone would begrudge a 65 year old + person wearing an N95 mask. This girl is 21. Most young healthy people donated the masks they bought (or had) once they realized there was a shortage, either to older people or first responders.
I donāt like that we just jump down peopleās throats, how do we know she doesnāt have diabetes or asthma? But if she is young and healthy, a cotton mask would suffice, and it isnāt a great look when doctors and nurses canāt stay six feet away from covid patients and she can.
Iām going to try some DIY masks. In the meantime, I just ordered a Day of the Dead mask from Etsy.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/775051742/washable-reusable-face-mask?ref=shop_home_active_6&frs=1&crt=1
How to DIY hand sanitizer, if you need to.
https://blog.smallflower.com/diy-how-to-make-your-own-hand-sanitizer/
My sister successfully made a mask and will be making more. She gave the one she made to her husband because his position requires that he leave the home.
Literally nothing to see here. My husband is in the restoration business and Iām in the healthcare field so we have several. None are in the original packaging and have been used. We couldnāt donate them to a hospital or urgent care facility if we tried. I see absolutely nothing wrong with us wearing them. Full stop.
I have a few boxes of these from when we lived near Mt Etna. The eruptions and volcanic ash always made us cough/wheeze if we spent an extended period of time outdoors after an eruption. So I stocked up. I found the remaining packages recently when cleaning out my storage and decided to hang onto them because I’m still going to work everyday. I’ve owned them for years and dont feel selfish about keeping them.
Her explanation is reasonable. I found one in the back of my cleaning closet. I canāt donate it because itās from an opened pack of two and who knows how old. If things get bad in Toronto we might start using it for grocery runs but for now we arenāt using our single mask.
I think mask/ppe protocol and recommendations for the general population are going to continuously change over the next few weeks or months. I bought an N95 mask sometime in January and felt so guilty that I had it. I wasnāt sure if I was supposed to try and donate, but it was out of its original packaging and so wasnāt sure if a hospital would even accept it and I tried to weigh out even bothering them for 1 possibly non-sterile mask.
I donāt really blame Brinkley here. This is certainly better than a lot of other kids her age not giving a s*** about the virus. And if everything she said is true above, 1 mask per person in NYC in her family really isnāt unreasonable.
Yeah we have three left from renovations. They not only encourage you to wear masks now in case your asymptotic, you’re supposed to wear them if you think youāre sick and visit a doctor. But you cant do that if you donāt have one. I do think though that asymptotic people can wear the regular masks and not the N95 ones , with higher standards, which are the ones medical personnel should optimally use. And theyāre the homemade ones that can be worn as well.
I have an open box of N95 masks from painting and construction. Not clean enough to donate. I’m not sure what I can or should do with them, so I’m hanging onto them.
People need to calm down. She has one mask. It won’t make or break anything at all.
Hang on to them just in case of an emergency. You never know when you might need them. Definitely don’t dump them in the trash right now.
If you have a mask, wear it. It will keep you out of the ER. If youāre yelling at people wearing masks, youāre an asshole.
She did nothing wrong by wearing it. People should all be wearing masks to save lives. I bought a box of 50 surgical masks from a pharmacy back in January when I saw the mess that was happening in Wuhan. I knew as soon as I saw it was compulsory for every person to wear one, that it ought to be the same everywhere else. I felt the rushed narrative that came out saying they donāt prevent you getting it rang false and was mainly to curb the demand for and hoarding of them.
I think the anger is misplaced here. Unless she’s hoarding them, I don’t see anything wrong with her wearing one. Be angry at our government, please. Be furious. But don’t yell at people who happened to get a mask or two, or who unearthed them in their closets or storage units. We had a couple of packages of N95s from a painting and flooring project we did in our RV two years ago (and tbh, still haven’t finished. I’m living in HGTV hell right now). I’m allergic to dust and mold and just about everything else out there so I wore the masks the entire time we were working. I happened upon the rest of our masks (in opened packaging) while sorting through our small storage box here on our RV site the other day. I’m not breaking them out unless there’s a serious need, but we have them. For now I’m wearing my cloth mask with cute little elephants on it at work and to the grocery store. I wash it every night to reuse the next day.
this is insane. I also own N95 masks because of my hobbies, and of course kept them for me and my family, didn’t have enough to donate and it’s also worth mentioning the masks do have a limited time of usage afterwards they’re not effective. It would be up to authorities to provide N95 masks to all the people working and fighting the virus in the front line, there shouldn’t be any shortage of protection devices if authorities were doing their jobs properly. We all should be allowed to have the best protection available granted by authorities, that’s their f king job
Thank you. They should not be guilting people to hand over their own safety measures.
I live in South Korea where you’re not allowed anywhere unless you wear a mask. Everyone wears one, legit everyone, and we’ve been wearing them since January when the first patient appeared here.
Iām not mad at this girl, I also keep gloves and masks in the house. I believed this in December when people in China were having issues getting masks. Get upset at government for shipping supplies in Feb, get upset at government for not having a real stock pile, get upset at government for allowing essentially manufacturing to leave the Us, get upset at government for not making medical professionals a more affordable tuition.