That masked man

CA Dept of Public Health update on mask wearing goes into effect tomorrow, basically requires masks on indoors for everyone:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx

I agree Phred. We tend to keep our masks on now when we leave a store because our masks keep our face cozy warm! I don't usually wear the around the ear ones, so no blisters so far. :P. I'm a fan of the duck bill type (Kimberly Clark) and we've found shops remember us, and they complement our masks saying they make them smile. To make people smile is a wonderful gift.

My husband hates the ear loops too. I like the Respokare N95 with head loops for airplane use. My husband would not be seen in that duckbill mask!!!

phred, You've described it very well. A couple of additions: the French government advises to change our masks every four hours. In fact, if flying Air France, they annonce when it's time to put on a new mask.

The government also told us they can be washed up to 30 times and reused, so that's what we do. I found excellent French-made surgical masks at Monoprix that are well-cut and tapered to fit, no gaping sides. UNIR masques chirurgicaux. Triple ply. Wouldn't expect less from a country that cherishes aesthetics.

Lola's Respokare masks are available at Lowe's in the medium size. Heading over there to buy them for air travel.

Bets, are you referring to FFP2s or N95s when you say the government has okayed washing them? Or do you mean the surgical masks or something else? I had no idea anything other than cloth masks could be washed, and I know the cloth masks are nowhere near as effective as medical masks or (most, I hope) KN95s.

Bets—-the medium size Respokare is fine for me (a petite woman) but most adults (all men and many women) need the Large to be comfortable. If they are for you the Medium should be OK, but don’t buy quantities of them until you try the size.

One hint for those who do not want to wear a mask for an unbearable duration while flying. In October I had a long connection through IAD. I bought a ticket for the airline business-class lounge so I could be more comfortable during my layover. In those lounges, not only do you have a more comfortable place to wait, but you do not have to wear a mask "while eating" (they have food available). Myself, and apparently everyone else in the lounge were continually eating. That was 5+ hours I fortunately didn't have to wear a mask. It was a welcome break in an otherwise painful, 9+ hour trip.

I’ve found the “fish style” ones to be quite comfortable, even for longer periods. They are gentler around the edges of the mask, on the face. I suppose it’s at the ear loops that things could go wrong for some people, though. Thankfully I’ve not had an issue with that.

Certainly I prefer cloth masks when comfort is key. But I will often pass on those for the more effective KN95 ones. I suppose, for a long international flight, a cloth mask might be acceptable depending on your outlook - if you’re traveling to somewhere requiring a negative test or vaccination, that might help you feel a bit more comfortable going with cloth since presumably that’s about as controlled an environment you’d ever come across (though also as confined an environment - always having to weight competing factors against one another).

acraven, Surgical. We wash, dry and reuse the 3 ply. They said you can wash them up to 30 times, but we've never tried that. They also said we could iron them.

Thanks, Bets. I've read that one shouldn't wash N95s with soap and water, but surgical masks are made of a different material.

I suppose, for a long international flight, a cloth mask might be acceptable depending on your outlook

I don’t think cloth masks are allowed on flights.

I don’t think cloth masks are allowed on flights.

Depends on the airline. Air France doesn’t allow them. Lufthansa doesn’t. British Airways, Virgin, all the US carriers allow them (though often do now allow things like balaclavas, masks with valves, bandanas). Not a comprehensive list, obviously, but many airlines do still allow them for now.

Probably best to bring an assortment of types and rotate during the flight and during the trip.

I'm also remembering, on one of my Delta flights they explained how they were going to handle people who wouldn't mask. It was like a soccer game, the first time they caught you they would show you a yellow card. Same with the second time. The third time you got a red card and ... well I guess it depends what options they have at the moment. A threat to land the plane and kick you off doesn't carry much weight when you're halfway across the Atlantic with only water in sight.