[Giles73]

Great Deed !

 

[Khragon]

I think "giving" away 20 masks for the cost of $5 shipping is more reasonable than 10. I think 10, Hifiman may stand to profit from the "sale". Depending on the kind of shipment used.. it may cost them an envelop and a stamp.. which $5 is a rip off.. we'll see. I put in my $5 to find out.

 

[ProfFalkin]

Yeah, I'll be donating mine too a hospital.

... Where they should be going in the first place.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Great move. Thank you for this @TeamHiFiMAN.

Keep in mind that these masks aren't suitable for the health workers, rather to the infected ones.

It doesn't make sense to wear a mask which leaves your eyes unprotected while being in contact with an infected person.
It would be better to have these masks distributed to infected people.

I still like the social support.

 

[tin-ear]

I'm a health care provider in the 'alternative and complimentary' category. I am currently seeing a few patients a week for conditions other than viral infections. I do not treat infectious diseases. Sometimes I am able to help someone with a condition that might send someone an Urgent Care Center. That would use up medical resources needed to fight covid-19, and I hope I can prevent that.
Even thought I am a licensed professional I have been unable to find any masks for sale at local pharmacies or supply houses. I tried ordering some from eBay (yes, it feels like a back alley drug deal). eBay accepted my order but sent me a somewhat confusing email: 'eBay has removed the masks I bought from eBay, but if I already paid everything is okay. But if it isn't okay...???'
I tried ordering on Amazon, and gave up. I noticed that all I could find for sale on those two sites are made in China. That may be part of the problem of getting the US supplied.
My understanding is these masks will help prevent me spreading the disease should I get infected, but not protect me.
I purposely have not sought out the N95 respirators; they should be reserved for workers on the front lines until the supply meets the demand.

 

[Nayparm]

HiFiMan's heart is in the right place, but it is definitely true that whatever masks are being produced need to go to health workers. My sister works in Washington as a nurse and they are making DIY masks and reusing.

These masks will make next to no difference for an American that is doing what they should be and staying home. Health workers can't stay home. They need this more than any HiFiMan customer. A face mask to a private consumer is far less likely to save a life than a facemask to a health worker.

So lets help and get 10 each and give them to the health workers.

 

[taffy2207]

Send them to a US Healthcare charity instead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Health_charities_in_the_United_States

 

[yiannis.zach]

This is so damn NICE!!!

 

[pbarach]

HiFiMan's heart is in the right place, but it is definitely true that whatever masks are being produced need to go to health workers. My sister works in Washington as a nurse and they are making DIY masks and reusing.

These masks will make next to no difference for an American that is doing what they should be and staying home. Health workers can't stay home. They need this more than any HiFiMan customer. A face mask to a private consumer is far less likely to save a life than a facemask to a health worker.

Why not order the masks and then donate them to your local hospital here in the US?

 

[jude]

Since well before all this, I've been a frequent visitor to countries in Asia, and, inspired by the regular use of masks in public in those countries, we at the office have had a courtesy policy of wearing masks when one of us is sneezing or coughing. As a result, we have a small supply of masks for office use. (Of course, if someone had a flu, he was encouraged to stay home.)

Since Michigan's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order, I've been trying to get everything delivered, but occasionally have to go to the store to pick up necessary items. When I do go to the store, I wear one of those masks. I also have a nonagenarian relative in a delicate state of health who we occasionally help care for, so we're being extra careful for his sake, too.

Fang Bian has texted me occasionally during all of this, just to check in to ask me if we're safe and healthy over here, and had asked me personally if I needed masks. I told him we had a couple 20-count boxes so were okay. He later asked me about the idea of offering to send masks to members of the community. Seeing as they're virtually impossible to get (at least where I live, and based on what I've seen online), I told him I thought that would be a nice gesture.

Anyone suggesting that this is a profit-seeking move has obviously never been in business before. Fang cares deeply for this community, and struggled with the idea of doing this at all for the reasons we're discussing in this thread.

As for whether or not masks may help, here's a story I just read today:

https://www.wired.com/story/its-time-to-face-facts-america-masks-work/

You have to decide for yourself.

When we run out of the small supply we have here -- and if Fang still has any left then -- I'll likely place an order myself. If you feel you don't need masks, you can choose not to order them.

 

[mthaynes]

thank you

 

[ampsandsound]

Just ordered. Incredibly generous from a great company!

 

[CanCan713]

Thank you, HifFiMAN. You are extremely generous. I appreciate that you're making a contribution. I ordered a set because, up until now, there has been no other way way to procure masks. Especially important since the news has reported that the CDC might start suggesting that we all wear masks (but not the N95 ones which should be reserved for health care workers). https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/health/cdc-masks-coronavirus.html

 

[jude]

In the context of this discussion, here's an interesting article discussing viral load::

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/opinion/coronavirus-viral-dose.html

Stay safe, everyone.

 

[bozebuttons]

Thanks Fang for doing this as it is almost impossible in NY to find Masks