I've been doing a good job of getting 10,000 steps in every day this summer.
During these long walks I've encountered a growing number of discarded face mask; So I thought I would drop a quick PSA to remind everyone not to pick up dropped masks with bare hands.
A primary reason for wearing the masks is to stop people with COVID19 from spreading the virus. A mask worn by a person with SARS-CoV-2 is bound to contain a super-concentrated amount of SARS-CoV-2. A discarded mask from a COVID19 carrier will be a biohazard to any person or animal that encounters the mask.
Personal I use a washable cloth mask. I wash the mask frequently with soapy water.
BTW: If I suspected that I had COVID19, I would self isolate in a place with smooth surfaces that I could clean with disinfectant. I would not wear a mask.
The human body was designed to expel pathogens. Wearing a mask when one has the disease will increase the viral load which will worsen the symptoms.
But lets get back to my observation that masks are a biohazard. If you are using disposable masks, then I would dispose of the masks by placing them in a plastic sack.
If I were at a health care facility, I would want to dispose used masks in a biohazard bin. If you need to pick up discarded masks that you encounter on the street ... assume it is contaminated. Use gloves and wash your hands after touching it.
If you think it is funny to discard masks in public places. It isn't. Discarding masks is not a decent method to display dissent as you force other people into the unpleasant situation of having to pick up and discard of the mask properly.
I think the government should set up a regulating committee on the discharge of used mask whether by infected persons or not considering it bio-hazard.
My little experience: After the total lockdown, i budded a tricycle and when we got to a check point set up by the government to check people without a face mask, funny enough a fellow passenger who didn't have a face mask had to pick one already used mask by God knows who and used it just to avoid being ceased by the cops. That was really a terrible sight.
If government set up an art that will convict reckless disposal of used face mask, i will help.
thanks for this awesome post.
I hate wasting things. I've seen some nice discarded masks and thought about trying to wash and reclaim them.
Using discarded masks is extremely dangerous. It appears that the viral load (the intensity of your first exposure) has an impact on the severity of the disease. So a mask from an infected person would be the absolute worst form of exposure.
Your idea that public health officials make stations to collect masks is a great idea.