Let’s talk masks. What are you wearing, what’s good, what isn’t.
Here’s my arsenal:
I run every morning wearing masks I made by cutting the sleeves of some stretchy tech-material undershirts I have. These are almost purely symbolic, I would be shocked if they provide any transmission-prevention benefit whatsoever to me or anyone else. Fortunately, I run early so there’s almost nobody out there, and I keep a healthy distance from anyone I do see.
The next step up from there for me are some masks by Jaanuu, a maker of hospital gear. They’re multi-layer, snug and comfortable. I wear these walking the dog in the neighborhood or for other low-contact activities.
Finally, I have some N95/KN95 masks I wear if I’m particularly concerned about exposure. Only time I’ve worn one of these in a while is when I went to give blood at Children’s Hospital LA.
Not watching that becuase I don’t want to go on tilt, but who the fuck thinks they can go to a HOSPITAL of all places and not wear a mask right now. Jesus Fucking Christ. Who is this person, just a random on twitter?
Full mask resp w/ cartridges: nearly 100% protection both ways
n95 : protects ~97% both ways. Only buy new from manuf or reputable dealer (walmart, home depot, etc.)
kn95: Slightly looser fit, ~95% protection both ways. More likely to be expired or counterfeit, be extra careful with sourcing.
Drip mask/ear loop surgical: Protects those next to you about 80% with diminishing protection while speaking/walking/breathing heavy, doesn’t protect the wearer from exposure at all.
Home made masks: lol no. Great for virtue signaling or obeying a law in letter but not spirit, useless otherwise.
not an expert but I’ve tried a few for running and these are my favorite so far: https://rb.gy/axh0pp
(the reviews aren’t that hot but they work for me)
I bought a couple of those same rz mask but not a big fan of how it fits. It pulls down on my nose and feels like it’s slipping off. I might order the rz mask that goes over ears. I have a cloth mask I bought that has some filters that slip in and I mostly use that.
I also have a couple boxes of n95s but I haven’t been using those unless it’s taking the kid to the doctor. I honestly feel bad/awkward when using the n95s when the nurses and doctors are just using surgical masks.
America and Canada and the WHO lying about the efficacy of masks in order to allegedly “protect supply” for medical workers directly resulted in god knows how many deaths.
They phrased the lie carefully - “yes n95s work which is why we need them for nurses and docs but you don’t need them because you’re probably too stupid to get the right fit or refrain from touching it.”
The continued perception that homemade masks or hastily manufactured masks from random websites are sufficient to protect yourself has directly resulted in many deaths. And will continue to. The first lie directly led to this misconception. “Doing something” is not the same as doing the right thing. If you’re going to be indoors with strangers buy and wear a real n95. This is the boring hill I’m willing to die on but I feel like I’m taking crazy pills when study after study agrees with me.
I have 3 old (like months old) N95s that I rotate every 2 weeks, and I double up with surgical masks. I also have 5 KN95s in rotation that I use for less risky places (filling up, parking lots to hiking areas if there are people).
I’ve yet to find whether it’s ok to reuse the same N95 mask after a few weeks. My N95s see about 20-30 minutes of action at the grocery store and then I put them back on the shelf. I know that they can be cleaned or microwaved or whatever in a clinical setting but I assume that’s for rapid reuse. Hoping a week in the sun does the trick, well at least it’s better than nothing.
Where in god’s name can you buy an actual n95 mask right now? They’re impossible. And those kn95’s they’re selling on amazon/ebay are all bullshit. I get that real kn95 masks are good, but they are not real.
Oh, she was. There’s more to the story elsewhere. Informed of divorced that day, tried to get arrested at multiple stores, wearing hats on her feet, etc.
