The CDC now recommends that the general public wear masks, face coverings or scarfs when going out in public. Here’s the official CDC advice:
“CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.
“The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.”
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Note that the CDC is not suggesting that laypeople buy medical-grade masks because those are in short supply and are needed for healthcare workers. But if you’re a frequent flyer, there’s a good chance you have an eye mask or unopened amenity kit that airlines give passengers when they fly first, business or even long-haul flights in economy. On the subject, my friend Trish tagged me in the tweet, which makes for an excellent travel hack:
Found a new use for my #japanairlines goody. Just flip it upside down & voilà—#sleepmaskfacemask!
Wouldn’t it be fabulous if all airlines donated their sleep masks to municipal/county/state officials for community distribution.? #upcycle #COVID19 #facemaskgoals @SanDiegoCounty pic.twitter.com/8DtH5SwPNt
— The Travelphile (@TheTravelphile) April 4, 2020
I think it’s a great idea. Just today, I was organizing my garage and found about 50 unopened amenity kits that I had put aside to donate to my local church, senior homes and women’s shelters.
As you can see from the pic above, I started using this travel hack back in 2008 on a flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. But I wasn’t doing it to protect me or others from a virus.
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What do you think? Yay or nay?
I know it probably won’t prevent you from getting the virus but it should serve the same value as the same as a scarf, which would prevent others from getting your germs.
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I thought of this and posted it on my Facebook page yesterday. I cannot sew And this fits perfectly and comfortably.
Great idea! I although I probably would keep my hands out of my pockets if I were wearing one entering a bank or convenience store.
A neck gaiter (a common brand is Buff) works really well for a face mask and is easier to breathe through than the eye masks.
You can also make one out of a sock (if they’re thick and woven well) and there’s usually two of those in an amenity kit!!
I suggest you title this excellent post “Sleep Masks can be used by non-Medical personnel”.
It took too long to get to the POINT.
Big picture of you, but not a clue that you’re wearing a sleep mask.
Great tip, thanks. If you need more and there are not enough sleep masks, you can improvise with the travel socks in the same first class kit, using rubber bands and paper clips.
Absolute rubbish and stupid. If the weave of the fabric has tiny pores of greater than a few microns then it will do no good whatsoever. Viruses are extremely small and even bacteria which aren’t that much bigger will pass straight through.