At the ripe old age of 71 and one who has to fend for myself, I have recently become increasingly concerned about the rapid spread COVID-19 around here during this crazy crisis.

Venturing out for supplies and fuel is a real problem. As we all know by now the virus can survive for very long periods of time in colder temps and on certain types on types of surfaces.

What perplexes me most is the lack of discipline folks have. Here on Long Island, few wear gloves and fewer people wear masks when out in public.  Now I’m not one to be paranoid about such things or listen to the prophets of doom in the media circus or hang on every word the CDC pushes out but there truly seems to be a real lack of concern about this virus where I live.

One of my pet peeves is gas pumps. IMHO, gas pumps are probably one of the most  dangerous surfaces to come in contact with. Yet, I see very few people with any form of protection against a surface that can be held by hundreds in a single day!

I have had limited success finding disposable gloves in the supermarket but masks are nowhere to be found.

To circumvent  the mask problem, I have Googled around for reasonable ways to make homebrew masks. Of course none of these masks will ever measure up to an N95 mask but making a homebrew mask appears to be worth the effort.

The New York Times offers a step by step guide on rolling your own. https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-make-face-mask-coronavirus.html

From Googling around, I also found out that face shields made from 100% polyester microfiber have a reasonable density for protection. Alpha Defense Gear sells a wide variety of face shields for both men and women. https://alphadefensegear.com/

HTH

Ham Radio will always be the ultimate way to perform Social Distancing

72 and 73 Be Well Be Safe de KE2YK