N95 Masks

I keep it traditional.

I have to wear an n95 mask at work but prefer to wear cloth masks outside of work. I’m not convinced the n95 offers that much protection outside of a clinic where you’re actively exposed to COVID. Plus they’re TIGHT. When you get fitted for one (which you should be or why bother?) it hurts like hell after several hours.

N95 Masks are just about impossible to find for the general public, I have been using KN95 masks which are similar to the N95 but made in China. They are difficult to breath through but I only have to wear them when I am out shopping, I am 69 and retired and have become a hermit. I got my first KN95 masks free from a local Chinese Restaurant that was giving them out free, I started having some problems with mucus in my throat and congestion in my lungs which I blamed on the masks but really have no idea if that was the cause. I purchased more KN95 masks and eventually the mucus and lung congestion cleared up weeks later. I feel more secure with the KN95 mask than just a multi layer cloth mask which I also have but have never worn in public, but it is just a feeling, I have no idea if they are really safer.

I've tried both the equivalent made in Asia - KN95 (made in China) and KF94 (made in Korea). The Korean ones are very good while the Chinese ones are hit & miss. If you are following the news in Europe, due to the more contagious variant of Covid-19 some nations are advising to switch from cloth masks.

Per The Washington Post on 1/20/2021:

Faced with new, more contagious, strains of the coronavirus and a winter surge in cases, European nations have begun to tighten mask regulations in the hope that they can slow the spread of the virus. Germany on Tuesday night made it mandatory for people riding on public transport or in supermarkets to wear medical style masks: either N95s, the Chinese or European equivalent KN95 or FFP2s, or a surgical mask. It follows a stricter regulation from the German state of Bavaria this week that required N95 equivalents in stores and on public transport. Austria will introduce the same measures from Monday. Meanwhile in France, the country’s health advisory council on Monday discouraged the wearing of inefficient cloth and homemade masks, also arguing they may not offer sufficient protection against the more highly transmissible coronavirus variants.

You can't completely rely on an N95 unless it's been tested for fit, but if you can get some and they're the right fit it can protect you from airborne viruses such as tuberculosis and influenza (as well as smoke from the wildfires we get every summer).

I bought this sort of mask for my nearest and dearest for christmas, not the exact model, but a re-usable mask with detachable filters that should be replaced after a month of use. They were comparatively cheap in December, I bet the price is rising now! And FYI these things are more comfortable than you'd think, I can exercise with mine on and breathe easily, but "more comfortable than you'd think" still isn't very comfortable. They need to be tight and will leave a ring on your face if you keep them on for hours.

Oh yeah... the one flaw with the sort of reusable plastic N95 at the link is that there's no filter over the exhalation valve, they're designed for people who work with chemicals and not healthcare workers, so during a pandemic you should wear a cloth or paper mask over the things in case you're exhaling viruses yourself.

The other issue is that no N95 works properly over a beard, all the men who are in high-risk positions at the hospital where I work have been politely but firmly told to shave the beards, for their own sake and that of others.

I wear the KN95 if I'm going anywhere where I know people will be near me, like the market or public transportation. When I go running or when I am in my office I just wear a cloth mask. I had trouble with the KN95s at first, breathing comfortably through it, but now I barely even notice it's there

I wear disposable pleated surgical masks.

I second the KN95 masks. They fit well on me despite my low nose bridge. Got them relatively cheap here

I wear KN95 masks because I work in a school and I figure they could offer a little more protection. I've ordered three or four batches at this point and they are all uncomfortable.

I wear the Bluna brand Facefit KF94 inside buildings, cloth when outdoors. I have some Powecom KN95s, but prefer the Blunas. The Korean manufacturing standards are rigorous. This guy has been testing and reviewing masks for efficiency, and finds that some of the KF94s actually exceed 94%.

I know masks are important and you should wear the best you can get but reading a thread like this you all sound so nelly, prissy and pearl clutching.

Die in a... pandemic, R12!

I like KN95s. You get used to them and I actually prefer them to cloth at this point. They are supposedly very effective.

Airlines now ban them on flights. You can't wear a mask with a filter on it, since they only protect you, as R6 pointed out.

Now r11 has got me confused. KF94 are more expensive than KN95. I wonder if I should switch? r15, the masks we're discussing don't have those stupid filters that benefit only the wearer.

Luckily, I bought 15 or so N95s during the original SARS wave and never used them, and was well prepared to deal with the situation in rural Arizona where maskless idiots are in the majority. We have the second highest new infection rate in the world, and only N95s seem adequate for that.

Health care providers have been unhappy with me for showing up for appointments in a N95, due to local PPE shortages, but I've pointed out that opened boxes can't be donated.

I do wear a good quality cloth mask (made by Hanes and available free from the health dept.) when on remote hiking trails, where few humans are expected.

I live in deplorableville and since too many people don't wear masks properly or even at all, I wear a KN95 with cloth mask with a filter over it. It's not comfortable or very breathable at all, but I've only been going out a couple times a month when really necessary (groceries, meds, doctors visits for me, mom and sister, who are unable to go out and do it on their own). Better than ending up on a respirator or dead though, I guess.

I was planning on wearing a cloth mask with filter with one the 3-ply disposable blue mask over it once spring gets here for better breathability, but the more virulent strain going around now, I think I will stick with the KN95/Cloth mask with filter combo.

I can see R13 at the Rite Aid hissing, lisping and picking over masks like he's browsing over mink coats at Fred the Furrier.

FWIW the doctors in my family say KN95 masks are sufficient. They wear N95’s at the hospital but told us early on to get KN95s and only wear those (not the cloth masks).

[quote]KN95 masks are sufficient.

I wear KN95s when going to what may be a high risk place, like a doctor's office. But, for general wear I've been wearing these from Stark (actually a vacuum place that started making masks.) They have a 0.3 micron filter sewn in that's similar in pore size to the KN95s, though I don't think they're certified.

The N-95 masks are just useless if you keep touching your snout and your face with your filthy hooves.

I’m just sticking with my regular mask 😷 because I have the kind that allows the filter inserts and I always have a filter in it. Doubling masks seems like overkill.

Those kn95 masks, do you throw them away after one wear? They are kinda expensive.

I bought a UV sanitizer box that I put the KN95 in, I stick it in there for 10 minutes after using. I also put my keys and phone in it. I toss the mask after a week.

I wear the KN 95 mask from China but there are probably a thousand different manufactures of the KN95 in China and there is little to no regulation or standards they have to meet, some are pure shit, some really excellent but there is almost no way to know what you are getting when you order them.

I wear cloth masks made by my partner's mother. There's not much going on here in Nova Scotia regarding the virus, but masks are required in stores and public buildings.

I don't wear a mask and most stores don't bother me about it, but if I really, really need to go to a store that requires them, I wear a full-face gas mask.

I like the look of the Korean masks the best. Do you all buy them from Amazon? I would hate to end up with counterfeits.

I sincerely hope r29 is trolling

R30 This site sells legit Korean products.

Not trolling. I wear the gas mask in sarcasm. I also had 10 people from 7 different households over for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. No one was or has been sick.

This virus and the reaction to it have been so blown out of proportion it would be hilarious if it weren't for devastation it has wrought on the economy.

R26, what type of UV sanitizer box?

I wash my KN95. At first it was difficult to breathe but I adjusted. I sometimes wear a surgical mask with a cloth mask over it.

R35, I hope you’re not using water. Here’s a list of how to wash masks.

There's no need to wash masks. Just hang them up in an out of the way place, like on a drying rack and leave them there for 4 or 5 days. If there's any viral particles on the mask, it'll die in that time.

I was using a medical mask with a cloth mask over it. Difficult to find N95 masks for a long while. Just found a site that sells them. Expensive. But now with the more contagious mutations, I am using them.

Where do you get the N95 masks fitted?

With regard to The Washington Post article (R4), we should be paying attention to what Germany and France are advising their citizens. Specifically with regard to use of medical grade masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc) rather than simple cloth masks. The whole issue of masks has become so political in the US that Americans are behind the curve relative to effective preventative measures. It's only a matter of time before the more contagious version of the virus becomes the prevalent strain in the US and then the N95 alternatives will be in short supply.

I use these. They are kind of expensive but seem like good quality and are approved by the CDC as an N95 respirator. I usually order 10 at a time. I don't go out a lot but use each one for about a week when going into a store or whereever. After that the fit starts to feel a little more slack so I change out.

Thanks, R41. I just ordered two of the 4800-pack. Contact me if you'd like me to send y'all some.

KN95 last about two weeks if you were to wear them every day all day. I usually wear mine until it starts to smell from my breath. Gross I know, I know.

Also you can spray it with disinfectant to make it last longer.

But I usually wear it about a week.

I just don't trust the cloth masks for indoors since the new more contagious variant showed up. Outdoors fine. Indoors I'll do KN95 or surgical only (indoors meaning grocery store, not gatherings).

My last two packages of masks smell moldy and they make me sneeze when I wear them. They are single-use. How can I de-mold them?

R44, I had the same issue with the first batch of surgical masks I bought. They obviously were in a warehouse for years. I aired them out on the dining room table for a week. I considered putting them in a low temperature oven but airing them out worked.

Dr. Fauci is now suggesting wearing two masks, as most people were doing at the inauguration. He mentioned a surgical mask under a cloth mask as an example.

I recently purchased KF94's from Korea. They're "a 3D design" which prevents the mask from resting on your lips. Very happy with the quality and the way they fit. (KN95 masks were too small and would pull apart at the seams.)

I read another article that suggests saving the better quality masks, like the KF94 or KN95, when you know you will be in close proximity with others. Like at the grocery or on public transportation. But when you're just out for a walk in the park, a cloth mask should suffice.

I bought some surgical masks at my pharmacy. They are different from the other ones I had bought there. They don't fit as good. Also, the first ones I bought were in English and these are in Korean (I think). The nose bridge is on the outside on the newer ones too. I don't feel safe wearing these new ones.

I bought a bunch early in the pandemic and still have some. They are the best and absolutely do a fantastic job filtering out germs.

I wear surgical masks with a cloth mask over it. The N95 masks are difficult to wear for long periods of time.

When you see Joe and Kamala they are wearing the N95 mask with a surgical mask over it.

You can buy cloth masks in target with a filter pouch. Just wash your masks & buy a box of filters and you’re fine.

I found the article linked below to be a very comprehensive overview of the various masks available, which types are good and what to avoid. It also provides links to sites where approved masks can be purchased.

In a nutshell, N95 are the gold standard but still in short supply due to high demand of healthcare workers; KF94 masks from Korea are equal to N95; KN95 masks from China are not reliable; double cloth masks with a filter in-between are OK.

I bought 2 boxes of ten at Home Depot in 2018 when I had to do site observation on a project being built in the desert. I had Valley Fever in Phoenix and did not want to possibly fuck up my lungs again. After two days the project was on hold and I put the masks upon a shelf in the closet. They have an external valve. I put another mask over the N95 when I go out. I work from home and put the masks in a paper bag and rotate between five as I do not go out often.

One of the top pieces from yesterday.

Just tie a plastic bag over your head and be done with it.