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This mask might be the best for this virus but I hate to pay the price and people would think your going overboard out in public and also it looks bad.
This mask might be the best for this virus but I hate to pay the price and people would think your going overboard out in public and also it looks bad.
and it may do nothing but make your wallet lighter and the seller richer as I don't see any filters with the mask. Respirators, unless purchased as a specific matched set, often are not shipped with any filter or it could just be a cheapo basic particle filter you use to do a seal test.
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Some people feel like they cannot breathe when wearing them. Also, as the mask becomes more humid from your breath they feel like it is harder to breathe.
While everybody wants things that most currently cannot have; my feeling is that list of those 'wanting' would dwindle quickly if they could get what they desire.
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As someone who has worn masks (N95 and NBC varieties) from time to time I will say that you have to adjust to breathing with them. At first, this means deliberately breathing deeply and slowly. As for fogging your glasses, there is a version of the N95 that has an exit valve, and that is very desirable, as it makes it a little easier to breath, doesn't fog your glasses, and makes the mask last twice as long.
As for the excess demand on supplies, that is definitely a factor. If demand ever returns to normal, the N95's should drop in price to around $1 each, and I haven't seen that since Christmas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JD59
This mask might be the best for this virus but I hate to pay the price and people would think your going overboard out in public and also it looks bad.
I suggest forgetting that idea, unless you have a mission involving Nuclear Biological or Chemical weapons. I used to have to wear one of those from time to time, and in spite of a serious effort to keep everything clean and sanitary I wound up getting Impetigo from it once. (And there is an antibiotic shortage right now, that not many people know about.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rabrrita
and it may do nothing but make your wallet lighter and the seller richer as I don't see any filters with the mask. Respirators, unless purchased as a specific matched set, often are not shipped with any filter or it could just be a cheapo basic particle filter you use to do a seal test.
You are correct (mostly), but the link shows that the company is selling NBC filters with them. (Specs look good.) It should be noted though, that the filters are basically usable for a day or two, and replacements about something around $70 each.
As for the excess demand on supplies, that is definitely a factor. If demand ever returns to normal, the N95's should drop in price to around $1 each, and I haven't seen that since Christmas.
I think Uline still sells their branded standard N95's for $15 a box of 20. They haven't gouged on pricing but they are not accepting orders from non established clients. The 3M's and their branded deluxe models are hit and miss.
One thing I do have are those cloth face mask everyone uses but I insert a 3M flat pack filter inside the mask. A bit bulky and distorts sound but hey, I just can't see wearing a mask that does more for others and less for me; I like equal footing. The cloth mask were tailored for my face and the inserts aren't that expensive considering their longevity and ability to be IPA vapor sanitized.
What's your thoughts on using PM2.5 filters in cloth mask instead of just the cloth mask alone? I know many of our Asian clients have these in bulk and use them in mask as a matter of routine, not because of a response to the virus. They may have a dozen outer mask holders in various styles and colors. Inserting the PM2.5's is like grabbing your wallet or cell phones, just habit.
Here is an article on the difference between the N95s and the surgical mask: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...health-workers. The virus is smaller than .1 microns. N95s will protect the wearer down to .3 microns. The surgical masks are rated at 100 microns. So there is clearly a difference in the protection. Most of the research suggests the N95s are very effective at the smaller particles and the fibers will catch most; even though they are smaller.
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Testing of N95 vs surgical masks is done in the lab with laminar airflow-- but in the real world, flow is not laminar, so most particles will hit the mask at an angle making the "holes" in the mask effectively much smaller than their measured diameters.
Tests done a few y/a in the medical setting show that surgical masks are just as effective at protecting healthcare workers from picking up Influenza virus from sick pts as N95s-- and the CoV particle is 10x larger than the Influenza.
As others have alluded to above- proper fitting is more important than the type of mask. A big bouncer at the main door doesn't help a lot if the side door in the alley is wide open.
Keep things in perspective. Having followed the stats fairly closely, I can tell you this-- if you're under 65, you're about 500x better off with CoV than you would have been with the Spanish Flu in 1918. For over 65, that's about 100x better off.
I think Uline still sells their branded standard N95's for $15 a box of 20. They haven't gouged on pricing but they are not accepting orders from non established clients. The 3M's and their branded deluxe models are hit and miss.
One thing I do have are those cloth face mask everyone uses but I insert a 3M flat pack filter inside the mask. A bit bulky and distorts sound but hey, I just can't see wearing a mask that does more for others and less for me; I like equal footing. The cloth mask were tailored for my face and the inserts aren't that expensive considering their longevity and ability to be IPA vapor sanitized.
What's your thoughts on using PM2.5 filters in cloth mask instead of just the cloth mask alone? I know many of our Asian clients have these in bulk and use them in mask as a matter of routine, not because of a response to the virus. They may have a dozen outer mask holders in various styles and colors. Inserting the PM2.5's is like grabbing your wallet or cell phones, just habit.
Higher prices are not just from gouging, but also from companies desperate to help with production, using less efficient production methods, resulting in higher costs.
As for the PM2.5's, well, they are better than just cloth, but unless you can get them with great economy (either like coffee filters or washable), I am not sure they are worth the extra expense.
Maye this will help someone (maybe not ) but I recently found masks at my local Walmart so I bought a box for myself and a box for a friend of mine as well.
Good luck, I hope you find what you're looking for.
This mask might be the best for this virus but I hate to pay the price and people would think your going overboard out in public and also it looks bad.
I don't see anything about that mask that mentions its effectiveness against COVID and have never heard the CDC mention it. So not only would you be paying a lot and draw attention in public, but there is no proof at all that this mask would be best for this virus. I would feel much better with my N95......
I don't see anything about that mask that mentions its effectiveness against COVID and have never heard the CDC mention it. So not only would you be paying a lot and draw attention in public, but there is no proof at all that this mask would be best for this virus. I would feel much better with my N95......
CDC would not know anything about the protection factor
of this mask. Not their ball game, and nothing in their training
would prepare them to answer that question.
I would ask a molecular chemist.
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) but I recently found masks at my local Walmart so I bought a box for myself and a box for a friend of mine as well. 
