Well said, haertig.
Or improvise: a bandanna mask, a welding helmet, and welding gloves solve the problem for me, no impact on the HCW logistics stream, and it really seems to encourage people to maintain social distance.

Yeah, I’ll stockpile a box or three of N-95 masks when they’re back in stock at Home Depot. Meantime, I’ll make do with what I have available.

Today while shopping I wore one of my neck gators with a very fine, tight weave. It was designed to protect your throat and lungs during dust-storms (again, bought to wear during wildfires), but these days it helps me with my virtue signaling while shopping. A simple mask (scarf/bandana/ neck gator) combined with social distancing (which I really like, but then I’m a solo walker/hiker) should afford you the isolation you need. That, and local LE will apparently start enforcing the State’s stay-at-home orders. I’ll stop there, more and I’d go all political...

LOL, next I’ll start wearing my half-face respirator and after that I go full-face with stacked cartridges (particles and gaseous fumes) just to be sure. I don’t have a pressurized full body hazmat suit ... yet.

You don't want to be in one of those things, I can tell you. One time, luckily only in training, we were shown what it is like. You put on your normal SCBA positive pressure breathing gear. Then coworkers zip you up in this really thick full rubbery suit. You can't get out of that on your own. Especially when they go around taping up all potential access points with heavy duty tape. Then they make you walk around briskly while waiting ... waiting for you low air alarm to go off. You were intentionally put in there with an almost empty tank just so you could feel the panic when that alarm bell goes off, knowing there's nothing you can really do about it. And panic does set in, I'll readily admit to that! In normal SCBA gear, your brain always tells you that if push comes to shove, you can rip your mask off. Of course you don't ever want to do that, but your brain still holds on to the idea as its last hope, you could possibly be the one lucky sole that survives anyway, without your gear. Now you wear that SCBA gear inside a big, thick, heavy sweaty, balloon that you could not get out of. Even though your brain knows you have 5 or so minutes of air after that alarm bell starts ringing, you do start panicking. Maybe with more exposure and training you could better control that - but your first time in, wow, that's an eye opener!

I'm not talking one of those lightweight white suits, I'm talking about the totally airtight orange monster suits.

Keep in mind that only an N95 (or higher) respirator properly fitted to your face so it is sealed protects the wearer.

All this other stuff covering the mouth and nose: surgical masks, bandanas, scarves, plastic bags, ... does not protect the wearer, but rather are intended to try to protect other people in the area.

There are those wondering about the consequences of people walking through secured area (banks, courthouses, airports,...) with masks.

I need to invent a toothpaste that reacts to dangerous communicable diseases and displays as bright orange when you spit it out each morning. I think I'll do that this afternoon.

When it is officially recommended there might be no consequences. Some may feel a little ill at ease. Refusing to allow the customer to take recommended precautions may not work out well for a business. Courthouses have more power but a little coughing might make the security rethink.
I experience it as a motorcyclist. At some gas stations the cashier does not say a word when motorcyclists wear their full face helmets and sunglasses at others they complain even when I enter with my modular helmet open to show my face. The latter are going to loose business.

Yes, you are safe using hand sanitizer and some surface sanitizers on good quality medical gloves. I would be wary with the cheaper, food service style gloves.

I would save gloves for use for cleaning and specific handling of unclean or potentially infected surfaces/items. Cleaning your hands well, not touching your face etc will provide the needed protection. Every person I have seen with gloves on in public were getting NO protection from the gloves... touching the shopping carts, things on the shelves in the grocery store, their phone, wallet, car door, steering wheel etc all with the same gloves on! Washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, minimizing touching things in public in general would have provided better protection.

I'm thinking everyone should start wearing Darth Vader helmets. Stylish. Practical. Makes a statement. Maybe a little warm in summer, but fashion is not for the meek.

All you need is a red lightsaber, and you will be set.

Jeanette Isabelle

While it is true the primary purpose of encouraging everyone to wear a mask while shopping in public is to prevent them from unknowingly infecting others, there is marginal protection from others as well.

As far as basic mask (home made or basic surgical mask) disinfection, how about ironing it. Enough heat will also kill virus based on what I have read.