Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: home, tenant, restaurants)

[rach5]

Originally Posted by lrfox

FWIW, I went to MGH Urgent Care in Brookline a few weeks ago and they (individual doing check-in at the door) were handing out surgical masks to anyone who walked in with a fabric mask on. They did allow people to throw the fabric masks on top of the surgical mask. I had a surgical mask on and they didn't even ask me to take one of theirs. I wore the surgical mask because I had gone to MGH Urgent Care last summer for a COVID test and the practice was the same back then so I assumed I'd be better off going in with one and I was right.

I'm not sure what they'll make you do about the N95, but if it doesn't look like their standard surgical mask, you may be asked to swap it with one of theirs. I certainly don't think it can hurt to wear it in and ask, but I wouldn't go in expecting to be able to keep yours on or wear the surgical on top of it. They may let you wear the surgical mask underneath the N95, but I'm not positive.

Thank you to you and ms RB! I can try it at home to see how bad it is - but I am quite sure the surgical mask below the N95 destroys the N95 property...Could bring the package of the N95 as proof I guess.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by rach5

I am quite sure the surgical mask below the N95 destroys the N95 property...Could bring the package of the N95 as proof I guess.

Are you fully vaccinated?

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by rach5

Thank you to you and ms RB! I can try it at home to see how bad it is - but I am quite sure the surgical mask below the N95 destroys the N95 property...Could bring the package of the N95 as proof I guess.

This is backwards. You wear the N95 mask and then comply with the hospital requirements by wearing the surgical mask over it. Your personal objective is to protect yourself.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by rach5

Thank you to you and ms RB! I can try it at home to see how bad it is - but I am quite sure the surgical mask below the N95 destroys the N95 property...Could bring the package of the N95 as proof I guess.

You're welcome! I agree - I'm also pretty sure there's no point to the surgical under the N95 either, but that doesn't mean the person doing check-ins at the door won't suggest it. Wearing the surgical mask over top would obviously be better, but you never know who is staffing the door.

You could bring the package, but I'd wager that if you get to the point that you need to show the package to plead your case, the battle's already over. It's essentially going to be up to whoever is staffing the door and if it's been ingrained into them that it's their own surgical mask (or an outside surgical mask) or nothing else, you're not going to be able to convince them otherwise. The good news is that these places have their protocols in a good place at this point. You may be able to get in with your N95, but I would cancel/reschedule (if possible) unless you're prepared to deal with the surgical mask if they insist.

[BostonMike7]

The effectiveness of the N95 is dictated by the seal on the wearers face. Anything that compromises that seal creates bypass that reduces the effectiveness of the n95. Unfortunatley most are not properly worn or fitted properly.

A surgical mask over an N95 is just for show. There’s nothing to gain by this other than satisfying an arbitrary requirement.


We were at Children’s about a couple months ago due to my son needing stitches. On the way in, they asked us to discard our masks and use their surgical masks. They asked some typical covid questions and I mentioned he had diarrhea the day before. We were immediately isolated and treated as possible covid risk (there was no covid) which meant we were in a sealed room. The doctors all donned extra protective gear to come in and all in n95 masks and face shields. My son, my wife and I still had the surgical masks. Never any offer to use an n95.

I have a doctor appt next week. I planned on wearing an N95 in as well, so this should be interesting

[robr2]

Primarily providing a mask is a way to ensure you have a clean mask on. They have no idea where your current mask has been. A second that hospitals provide clean masks is so they can easily identify anyone who has not passed through an entry/screening station. If the provided mask is not visible, they will stop and direct you to a screening station.

At NWH, if you enter the building from the parking garage and go to offices accessible from the garage, they will screen you in the office and provide a new mask or send you down to the 3rd floor to a screening station.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by robr2

Primarily providing a mask is a way to ensure you have a clean mask on. They have no idea where your current mask has been. A second that hospitals provide clean masks is so they can easily identify anyone who has not passed through an entry/screening station. If the provided mask is not visible, they will stop and direct you to a screening station.

At NWH, if you enter the building from the parking garage and go to offices accessible from the garage, they will screen you in the office and provide a new mask or send you down to the 3rd floor to a screening station.

You are made to remove your own mask even if it is a N95? Or can you put the new mask on top of yours?
Thanks for all the responses - obviously I understand that they don't want people to use a crappy, worn-out poorly fitting mask, but to force people to switch from a new never before worn N95 (could bring another in the original packaging...) to a surgical mask is a concern. In Rhode Island, based on the some of the hospital websites, the hospitals appear to only ask for wearing a mask and provide one if you don't have one. We'll see if this kind of requirement is maintained next winter.
And yes - in a few days I will officially be fully vaccinated, thankfully! Still only 90ish% protection... but since I have N95, why not use it to bring down the risk further in a hospital setting.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

This is backwards. You wear the N95 mask and then comply with the hospital requirements by wearing the surgical mask over it. Your personal objective is to protect yourself.

Agreed 100%. Doesn't mean that the hospital rules are logical (or that they are capable of distinguishing a fake N95 from the real deal - the same surgical mask for everyone is easy to enforce - but yeah, I don't see why one shouldn't be allowed to wear it on top) - which is why I am asking for personal experiences here

[OutdoorLover]

A GIS map of vaccine hesitancy in the US from the CDC is available via this link. Was pleased to see that Massachusetts seems to have little problem - appears to be best in the nation.

https://data.cdc.gov/stories/s/Vacci...D-19/cnd2-a6zw

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

A GIS map of vaccine hesitancy in the US from the CDC is available via this link. Was pleased to see that Massachusetts seems to have little problem - appears to be best in the nation.

https://data.cdc.gov/stories/s/Vacci...D-19/cnd2-a6zw

What did that map do to poor Michigan??