Swine Flu: What Would It Take for You to Start Wearing a Surgical Mask?

It's hard to know just how bad swine flu might get. Health officials can speculate--but really, no one knows. In the meantime, people are talking about face masks, and whether we should start wearing them out at the grocery store, the gym, etc. Hysteria or a good idea? (And, P.S. there is rumored to be a mask shortage in some places in the U.S. right now...)

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We've all seen news footage by now of people in Mexico City wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from contracting the swine flu. Government workers have been passing them out in the streets, and now street vendors are even selling them (which leads some to believe that there may be surgical mask shortage).

As it turns out, people in the U.S. are starting to think about surgical masks, too. According to the Associated Press, some New York City drug stores are selling out of masks. I called a local drug store here in Seattle, just to see if the surgical-mask-buying hysteria had spread West, and found a similar situation--they were sold out and they weren't even sure if they could get any more in.

OK, so do masks really even protect you? They may help, say health experts. While government officials have not recommended that anyone here start wearing them out in public (yet), they may help reduce your chances of becoming infected with the swine flu if it worsens. As you know, you can catch the swine bug from being around infected people (for instance, if an infected person coughs or sneezes near you, or if you are sharing close quarters with an infected person).

When should you start wearing masks? Don't worry--you don't have to wear them yet, said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on CNN recently. It would be premature to start donning a mask, she said. But if there's an active infection spreading in your community, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have one ready.

Where can you buy them? I couldn't find any on Amazon.com, but most drug stores carry them, though they might be out of stock right now. You can also ask your doctor's office to send you home with some, too.

What would it take for you to wear a surgical mask? Are you thinking about wearing them right now, or is that way too over the top for you?