Rubbish article: Health Authorities Apparently Lied About Wearing Masks. [Incorrect]

[amaroo]

Don't forget the impact the bushfires had on stock levels.

I agree the many bureaucracy this nation funds should have seen this coming. States & territories haven't been very proactive.

 

[nickykim]

In early Feb, I made a conscious decision not to re-order filters for my half face respirator. My hobby involves using glass powder and grinding glass, but can chose to work in other ways until there isn’t a medical need for masks / filters.

 

[drron]

I am sorry you are offended tgh but I did say surgical masks not industrial masks or respirators.In the pictures you see of the public the vast majority are wearing surgical masks.In the last 6 weeks these have disappeared.
GPs do not keep a large stock of consumables as they can go out of date and most practices don't have extra large storage space.They rely on medical supply companies for supplies such as masks.for about the last 6 weeks they have been out of surgical masks.I put in an order 3 weeks ago with the 2 companies I dealt with in the past-they still haven't got any stock.
Hospitals are running out of supplies/

Not only that I mentioned previously people have been stealing masks from hospitals by the box full.They are kept by the bed or room of patients who are infected or who are immunocompromised.They have to be there as would you want to wait for the medical team in an emergency to get the masks out of locked storage.

Sure there are other problems.Governments should have had larger stocks.no government has done this-doesn't depend on side.The medical supply companies should have tightened up on who was buying masks and limited sales.But now we are facing a crisis and I am going to be personally involved so I stand by my statement as I did say "surgical masks" not industrial masks or respirators.

 

[get me outta here]

If you need the masks of course you should have them. I thought what we’re talking about is people who don’t need masks buying / wearing them in the mistaken belief that they are necessary for healthy people. I have an unused mask which I acquired when Canberra had the worst air-pollution in the world, and we are since advised that it killed around 35 people here.

This reply lacks humour.. my apologies...

Medicine traditionally uses surgical masks , these products offer limited protection. ( citations available)
Industry uses p1 ,p2 and P3 masks ; they are considered an industrial product for hazard mitigation. ( citations available)
I normally stock a P3 mask and a few dozen P2 masks in my workshop for hazard protection.
The masks are commonly available and are also useful as an aerosol guard , that is what likely drove the retail buy up.

A "panic" buy up of anything that looked like a mask developed ; surgical masks which are of little or no use were also purchased partly because industrial masks ran out quickly and partly because surgical masks are very simple and extremely cheap to buy.
Government could have stopped this panic buying in its tracks but failed to do so.

Government failed to educate the differences in the products AND probably also failed to upgrade the medicine sector from surgical to P2

We are in the age group where Covid is more likely to be serious , I have 2 x P3 respirators and 20 p2 masks
I remain personally offended by suggestions that our Personal Health should be negated to compensate for some failure of Government to plan pepare and act in a timely manner.

 

[amaroo]

I read the lady that co-hosts that channel 7 early morning show has taken sick leave due to complications from bushfire smoke. Horrible timing given this covid-19 bug. Wonder how many people are at higher risk because of the smoke?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Ok, with a daughter who is a Respiratory Nurse and who is already treating CV 19 patients some of the posts in this thread make my blood boil.
She is willingly putting her health and life at greatly increased risk. I urge everyone to act in ways that support her and all our other medical workers who are in harms way.


To those that state essentially bad luck, hospitals should have bought up earlier. Pull your heads in and please understand that our hospital's and other medical centres have to now move forward as best they can from the situations that they are now in, including sourcing as much PPE as possible. As a community we need to move forward as a community. For those that believe as long as I am ok all will be good, they are deluding themselves and worse than that they are making a bad situation worse..

Only a community will:
- keep the food coming
- Improve treatments and develop cures
- develop and provide a vaccine
- allow life as something like we know it to continue

To those that think I have a mask I am ok. If we all become dog eat dog individuals everyone will be worse off. EVERYONE. If this happens society will collpase, food will disappear and no one will get treatment. Having your own face mask will do you no good. You will be huddling at home with dwindling or no supplies and when you become infected if you need treatment there will be none.



PPE and CV 19 tests need to be deployed where they are most needed. No is or buts about this. We need to use our resources wisely now.

This is a time for everyone to do their bit, and their are many ways to do this. Social distancing, handwashing etc as well as donating blood...but also not selfish wasting of limited resources like masks.

 

[RooFlyer]

@drron can you clarify what you mean by 'surgical masks'. Dr Google ) gives all of these as examples (and the top one is labelled such).

 

[RooFlyer]

By the wat RooFlyer did you ask the guy who came onto the plane did he wear the same mask all day?Sorry to be pedantic.

Sorry drron, I missed this. No - I don't think he was keen to be around us as we exited!

I did notice, and maybe it can be seen in my crummy iPhone pic - that he hadn't bent the metal clip down to fit the shape of his nose. Dunno if there was any air leak though.

Edit:
Not wild about the wording, but is this a good sign (from 8 March)?

Australian Government secures additional 54 million face masks to contain coronavirus outbreak

The Australian Government has secured an additional 54 million face masks to help protect medical professionals working to stop the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.

www.health.gov.au

 

[opusman]

24 doctors have died in Italy. They would have all been wearing masks.

 

[Pushka]

Ok, with a daughter who is a Respiratory Nurse and who is already treating CV 19 patients some of the posts in this thread make my blood boil.
She is willingly putting her health and life at greatly increased risk. I urge everyone to act in ways that support her and all our other medical workers who are in harms way.

I am not sure I actually want to know the answer to this question. If someone is admitted to ICU with respiratory distress to Covid, well, can next of kin visit in case.....

 

[p--and--t]

At least one major hospital in WA and one in VIC (probably more but I only have knowledge of those two) already have staff in operating theatres performing surgery without masks because of the shortage. Think about it!!!!

The masks sitting in someone's cupboard just in case, or so someone not at risk can go to the supermarket for 5 minutes, is seriously risking the lives of people right now.

My partner's clinic have not been able to source masks from medical suppliers for 2 months. His life is being put at risk.

 

[drron]

@drron can you clarify what you mean by 'surgical masks'. Dr Google ) gives all of these as examples (and the top one is labelled such).



View attachment 210643

View attachment 210644

View attachment 210645

Second and third pictures are the ones commonly for physicians to use.

The mask situation is critical ATM but the Chinese have announced they are ramping up production to a few million a day.Just think about that.

And in Europe the UK bought I think 300000 masks from Germany for the NHS but French authorities seized them at the border.

The world has definitely gone mad.

 

[DC3]

Looking back over this thread, what happened to being nice to each other (for a while, at least)?

Some rather harsh comments/responses.

 

[tgh]

I thank Drron for his clarification , and reiterate that we are in the highest risk group.
My box of 20 x P2 masks would last five minutes in a medical practice , they need tens of thousands of P2 masks to make a difference.

P3 respirators do not need cartridge changes until they start to stop air flow.. no matter what the environment ( this is what they say anyway).
This means a professional can use a respirator for days at a stretch , they are also comfortable whereas a P2 mask is not.

Cab anyone explain why medicine is still using surgical masks given that they offer minimal protection ?

 

[drron]

They're cheap.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Looking back over this thread, what happened to being nice to each other (for a while, at least)?

Some rather harsh comments/responses.

I apologise if my post came across as harsh. Having a daughter at the coalface probably makes me overly sensitive.

But I believe that at times like these we can also choose to be part of the solution, or we can choose to be part of the problem.

You can choose to gather at places like Bondi Beach, or you can choose to practice social distancing and self-isolation as much as feasible.

With masks and other PPE you can choose to follow the advice of our health authorities that with these being in limited supply to leave them for those who need them most, or you can choose not to.

You can accept that our Government and Health Authorities are acting at present in ways that is best for most, or you can say bugger that I come first.



I can only hope that people act in ways that is best for the community at present. But yes I do understand that many will not.

Caveat: There will be individual circumstances and exceptions of course.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I am not sure I actually want to know the answer to this question. If someone is admitted to ICU with respiratory distress to Covid, well, can next of kin visit in case.....

Pushka it is not just for Covid 19 kin.

All hospitals now have restrictions I believe for all visitors and not just those with kin who have Covid 19 (which is still luckily quite rare in ICU and hospitals in Australia). This probably will vary from site to site as well.

ie

Information on respiratory infections including COVID-19

We are closely monitoring and responding to the developments in Australia associated with COVID-19, in conjunction with both the Australian Government authorities and local public health units. <meta http-equiv=

www.ramsayhealth.com.au

ICU because of what it is has patients in a poor state. Death is a common in the ICU and yes many relatives need to say farewell. At present whatever the cause of an individual death visitor numbers will be restricted. Visitor number are restricted period in the ICU, and in the whole hospital number.

Also remember that some possible CV19 patients may well have their kin in self-isolation and if so they would not be allowed to visit the hospital at all.


Remember too that the ICU has many patients and has new patients every day. That 18 year old car accident victim who tonight may well be admitted to an ICU or Respiratory Ward, and who may not get in a months time.

 

[get me outta here]

Greg Hunt just announced 30 million I think it was masks coming in within the week.

 

[Pushka]

Pushka it is not just for Covid 19 kin.

All hospitals now have restrictions I believe for all visitors and not just those with kin who have Covid 19 (which is still luckily quite rare in ICU and hospitals in Australia. This probably will vary from site to site as well.

ie

Information on respiratory infections including COVID-19

We are closely monitoring and responding to the developments in Australia associated with COVID-19, in conjunction with both the Australian Government authorities and local public health units. <meta http-equiv=

www.ramsayhealth.com.au

ICU because of what it is has patients in a poor state. Death is a common in the ICU and yes many relatives need to say farewell. At present whatever the cause of an individual death visitor numbers will be restricted. Visitor number are restricted period in the ICU, and in the whole hospital number.

Also remember that some possible CV19 patients may well have their kin in self-isolation and if so they would not be allowed to visit the hospital at all.


Remember too that the ICU has many patients and has new patients every day. That 18 year old car accident victim who tonight may well be admitted to an ICU or Respiratory Ward.

Thanks. Sure, I understand the limitations in ICU having had my mother in the RAH and husband after surgery. I was able to visit as next of kin. But I was wondering if the infectiousness of Covid would prevent that visit. True, too, that the next of kin would be under isolation as well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You can choose to gather at places like Bondi Beach, or you can choose to practice social distancing and self-isolation as much as feasible.

Thankfully governments are dealing with this. If individuals won't do this voluntarily, it will get imposed.