Face Masks

[niemeyjt]

In anticipation of it all kicking off again in the autumn, what are the best facemasks - I see some marked FFP2 and KN95.

But then last time I wore one into the hospital I was told to take it off and use the normal blue and white jobbies.

I thought that the former were more effective - as well as more comfortable.

[Blaze]

You'll probably get varying opinions, my comments are just my experience !

For general use, if everyone is wearing a mask, an ordinary blue and white jobbie is fine.
Our nurses who do the actual testing wear FFP2, glasses, charlottes etc because they are in very close contact with infected folk, but on the accueil, secouriste etc, we just wear the blue ones. However, I always change to an FFP2 if dealing with a positive person who had a malaise etc. because they sometimes have to remove their mask ....

The KN95 is supposed to be a teensy bit better at filtering than the FFP2 and these two will protect the wearer where other people are not wearing masks.

As far as comfort goes, by far the most comfortable blue and white masks that we have found are made by Kolmi because they seem to fit under the chin better and don't pull on the ears. Some of the FFP2s have short elastic and I see a lot of wing nuts around the bazaars !

[curtis]

I'm for the FFP2 masques. They protect ME !

[sparkyjo]

We have been using the blue and white masks as that's what the pharmacy gives for my prescription. Didn't stop us getting COVID though. We tested positive yesterday after I had to visit Pontivy hospital 5am Wednesday morning with breathing difficulties. Don't think we'll be going to the UK again too soon! Self isolating now.
Bit confused as to what happens next - do we have to book another test next week? The email received from the lab had so many links I got lost.

[exile]

Speedy recovery.

One important thing to realise with these blue and white masks is that they protect others primarily. Your protection depends on those around you wearing their masks - and sadly many don't.

[MAD87]

@sparkyjo Get well soon!
I still wear a blue mask when I leave the house but I seem to be in a minority of one, despite there being loads of English tourists around.

[Nomoss]

With all the tourists using the supermarket near us, who make up most of the customers during the magic lunch hours when we go there once a week, I started to worry about Covid being on the rise again.

So just ordered 20 FFP2 masks through Amazon, €7.99 post free with Prime.

[Blaze]

Bit confused as to what happens next - do we have to book another test next week? The email received from the lab had so many links I got lost.

Hope you feel better soon.
No, you don't have to go for another test. It's not required except in certain cases (work, travel, hospitalisation etc).
Your positive test will show up on your Amélie account and you will be issued with a "certificat de rétablissement". This is only issued for a PCR or antigène (lateral flow) test, but not for auto-tests.

Here is the government link which explains everything :
https://www.gouvernement.fr/actualite/c ... blissement
I don't know how good your French is, but if you have any problems, just run it through this translator (better than Google) and you'll get a good idea what to do.
https://www.deepl.com/fr/translator

[Blaze]

As of today no obligtation to wear a mask anywhere :
Covid-19 : fin du « pass sanitaire » le 1er août 2022
https://www.gouvernement.fr/actualite/c ... -aout-2022

Port du masque
Le port du masque n’est plus obligatoire dans les établissements recevant du public, ni dans les transports maritimes, fluviaux, terrestres et aériens.
Le port du masque demeure recommandé dans les lieux clos et de promiscuité, et dans les grands rassemblements pour les personnes fragiles, du fait de leur âge ou de leurs pathologies.
Il est par ailleurs très fortement recommandé dans les établissements hospitaliers et pour les personnes âgées.

This means that we will get unmasked people who are infected coming in for testing, and will sit next to people who have come in to be tested prior to going to hospital. The onus will now be on the latter to protect themselves from knowingly infected folk who will refuse to wear a mask.
Whilst we can try to insist or "recommend" that everyone wears a mask, we cannot force them to. We know that most people would be reasonable but we also know there will be one or two co**ards.
Interestingly, everyone came in wearing a mask today but most of them probably had no idea of the change in the law.

Many hospitals have objected to this and some in the Paris area are still going to insist on masks.
What I haven't found out yet is if there is any way that establishments can enforce mask wearing as you can't go outside the law ...

[Sparkle]

@Blaze I didn't know about the change in law so thanks for that update and that also explains why there was only OH and one other in Intermarche this morning wearing masks We will continue to wear masks in public places - well except the bar where we sit outside prevention better than cure.