Mask Post 9987: Back To Work in an Office

[AnnieW625]

I think you would be fine with one mask.

Our office continues to be closed and TBH if I had to wear a mask at my desk (which will be socially distanced once I am back in the office....hopefully no more than 2 days a week) I would really fight having to go back into the office. I don’t work in an environment where it is easy to wear a mask all day during the work day (the crazy inconsistent building temps are a killer....it was cold like a medical office, grocery store or a bank I could see it being tolerable) and I think my CEO and the rest of the executive board know this and have told us repeatedly that we may not go back to the office in even a part time capacity until there is a vaccine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[twowhat?]

I'm a remote employee and travel is not allowed (yet). Bay area science-driven company so they are being very conservative and I would not be surprised to not be able to travel at all this year. However, IF I had to travel by plane, I would want to get my hands on an N95. DH has a field-based position and at some point he is going to have to travel. Anyway now is probably a good time to start looking for N95s and we would try to conserve them by wearing a cloth mask over an N95 so that the N95 can be reused as many times as possible.

For the in-house employees, they don't know when they will start allowing people back in but the plans so far to prepare are masks for everyone for public areas (break room, bathrooms, hallways, etc), distancing (no sitting together at a conferencing table; chairs have been removed and number of people allowed in a conference room limited), twice weekly testing (sputum test). I think they could consider going a step further and require conferences to be done outdoors if no serious AV is needed...for the Bay Area I think that's totally doable and they have plenty of outdoor space on the company campus.

Cloth masks, particularly if they are well-made and tight-sealing, will get damp so if you can swing having extra fresh masks, that would be nice. I've found that using synthetic filters inside cloth masks help with the dampness. Think things like blue shop towels, swiffer floor sweepers. If you have a supply of surgical masks, those can be inserted into cloth masks as filter material. Wash your hands well and frequently.

[wendibird22]

I'm honestly considering getting a belt bag to wear at work (once I have to go back) to keep hand sanitizer, lysol wipes, and a mask in so that they are on my person at all times for easy access.

I'd be ok with just one mask a day since you won't be wearing it for a large portion of the day while at your desk.

[PunkyBoo]

I'm a remote employee and travel is not allowed (yet). Bay area science-driven company so they are being very conservative and I would not be surprised to not be able to travel at all this year. However, IF I had to travel by plane, I would want to get my hands on an N95. DH has a field-based position and at some point he is going to have to travel. Anyway now is probably a good time to start looking for N95s and we would try to conserve them by wearing a cloth mask over an N95 so that the N95 can be reused as many times as possible.

For the in-house employees, they don't know when they will start allowing people back in but the plans so far to prepare are masks for everyone for public areas (break room, bathrooms, hallways, etc), distancing (no sitting together at a conferencing table; chairs have been removed and number of people allowed in a conference room limited), twice weekly testing (sputum test). I think they could consider going a step further and require conferences to be done outdoors if no serious AV is needed...for the Bay Area I think that's totally doable and they have plenty of outdoor space on the company campus.

Cloth masks, particularly if they are well-made and tight-sealing, will get damp so if you can swing having extra fresh masks, that would be nice. I've found that using synthetic filters inside cloth masks help with the dampness. Think things like blue shop towels, swiffer floor sweepers. If you have a supply of surgical masks, those can be inserted into cloth masks as filter material. Wash your hands well and frequently.

Twowhat?- Ace Hardware in southern California has n95 masks. Maybe see if they ship. If not, I can buy you some and mail them to you.

OP- I would probably wear one but bring a second one in case you feel icky about putting it back in after eating, after commuting, or if someone gets into your physical space.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

[basil]

I use one paper mask per day. I store in a paper bag when in my own office. It’s fine.

[twowhat?]

Twowhat?- Ace Hardware in southern California has n95 masks. Maybe see if they ship. If not, I can buy you some and mail them to you.


Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

Thank you, that's SUPER sweet. You reminded me that I should check our local Ace, which actually has KN95s in stock. I'm OK with that so I ordered a few for curbside pickup. THANK YOU! I only ordered enough for us to each have 2 for when we have to start traveling for work again. This will probably impact DH sooner since his field job requires going into hospitals. His company provided surgical masks but I'd rather him have protective masks. Though right now hospitals (non-COVID unit) are probably one of the safest places to go based on all the precautions they are taking, so that's reassuring! Airplanes and airports really freak me out though.

[scrooks]

I use one paper mask per day. I store in a paper bag when in my own office. It’s fine.

Ditto this.

[mommy111]

Why would you want to wear one mask though all of that. Id wear one for public transportation, change when I get to the office (2 stay in the office one for the AM one for the PM) and switch back to another mask for traveling home. These are cloth masks and reusable and washable so I’d have 2 sets of 4 and rotate (or 2 sets of 3 if you want the same mask for AM and PM commute)

[Kindra178]

Thanks all!

[StantonHyde]

I work in a psychiatric hospital--not working with positive infectious people but we still need to be careful. We get one procedure mask per day. (e.g. not an n-95 mask) We don't change after lunch or after each patient, etc etc. When you take the mask off to eat, place the mask on a paper towel. Only handle the mask by the earloops. For a cloth mask, toss it in the laundry when you get home.