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Face Mask recommendations?

rocks said:
My husband tells me that if it is a bit difficult to breathe (I commented that I was having a little difficulty breathing) then the mask is doing its job.
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Haha that is exactly what my DH said too.
 
The good news is if everyone is wearing a mask even if it isn't a medical grade one it protects everyone around you. So really wearing a mask is to protect others near you so if in fact all the people start wearing one we will all be much safer. Even though the masks are not medical grade masks.
 
missy said:
Haha that is exactly what my DH said too.
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Great minds. Lol! They are medical grade. The masks we are using are the one he and his staff use. They have a metal strip running across the top and bottom of the pleated mask to allow for a contoured fit.
 
rocks said:
Great minds. Lol! They are medical grade. The masks we are using are the one he and his staff use. They have a metal strip running across the top and bottom of the pleated mask to allow for a contoured fit.
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I just decided to get the KN 95 our drugstore is selling. It has a metal strip to fit the face. I haven’t used it yet as I really like the ones my dh made for me and they fit great as he put a wire in them. But it’s good to have a number of them to rotate for sure. I find the ones with an exhalation valve (is that what it’s called?) make breathing a bit easier. I’m not sure how it’s going to be when the temps get warmer though. My asthma makes breathing through the mask more difficult in warmer weather. But I will do the best I can.
 
Wow.
Blown away.

A PS member reached out to us privately to offer some masks for us. Wow.
This is an amazing community.
thank you
 
missy said:
The good news is if everyone is wearing a mask even if it isn't a medical grade one it protects everyone around you. So really wearing a mask is to protect others near you so if in fact all the people start wearing one we will all be much safer. Even though the masks are not medical grade masks.
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They way I look at it is, even if it works 3% of the time, and it keeps your germs to yourself and it keeps people’s hands off their faces, then we should all wear masks.
 
missy said:
The good news is if everyone is wearing a mask even if it isn't a medical grade one it protects everyone around you. So really wearing a mask is to protect others near you so if in fact all the people start wearing one we will all be much safer. Even though the masks are not medical grade masks.
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I know wearing the non-medical grade mask is still better than nothing and it does protect others. In theory by EVERYONE wearing the mask, it should protect the group overall. I just wish my own safety wasn't entirely dependent on OTHERS doing the right thing and not being selfish idiots. I feel kind of helpless knowing even if I'm diligent about wearing masks and social distancing, what others do and don't do is completely out of my control.

I do hope NY keeps up with the mandate and enforces the rule that everyone has to wear a mask when out in public. I think that's probably one of the ways we can go back to somewhat of a "normal" life even if vaccines are not available.
 
Babyblue033 said:
I know wearing the non-medical grade mask is still better than nothing and it does protect others. In theory by EVERYONE wearing the mask, it should protect the group overall.
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Exactly.

Babyblue033 said:
I do hope NY keeps up with the mandate and enforces the rule that everyone has to wear a mask when out in public. I think that's probably one of the ways we can go back to somewhat of a "normal" life even if vaccines are not available.
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Unfortunately due to the weak wording (by Cuomo?) there are people here not wearing masks. And no one is enforcing this "rule". The wording is such that it is open to interpretation. It says if one cannot maintain 6 feet from others. Instead of saying everyone should wear a mask it says one should wear a mask if one cannot be 6 feet away. That is very poor wording. Everyone in NYC should wear some sort of face covering because it keeps others safer.

Very poorly worded and it was on purpose. IMO some politicians are handling (the issue) people with kid gloves. They don't want to piss off their constituents any more than some already are. Ridiculous.

Wear the freaking masks. If not for yourself for others. The life you save could be a loved one.
 
@missy , I had something delivered today and there were 2 guys that showed up. 1 of them was wearing a surgical mask but not the other. They drive in a truck together, then deliver things to people's homes. Exactly the type of dismissive behaviors I was worried people would have regarding the new "mandate" :confused2:
 
Something to be aware of: An N95 respirator will only give the 95% level of protection if it is properly fitted to the face. This is done by a few different fit test methods. Many people have a difficult time passing a fit test due to differences in face shapes. I did this in my profession for years before I retired. We had a variety of models and sizes of N95s to try on our employees. Some could not get a good fit with any. An N95 respirator that is not fitting well enough for the wearer to pass a fit test is giving the wearer a false sense of security. I see many people on TV with N95s that obviously don't fit their faces. Also, an N95 with an exhalation valve will allow potentially infectious droplets from the wearer to escape through the valve.
 
m51galaxy said:
Something to be aware of: An N95 respirator will only give the 95% level of protection if it is properly fitted to the face. This is done by a few different fit test methods. Many people have a difficult time passing a fit test due to differences in face shapes. I did this in my profession for years before I retired. We had a variety of models and sizes of N95s to try on our employees. Some could not get a good fit with any. An N95 respirator that is not fitting well enough for the wearer to pass a fit test is giving the wearer a false sense of security. I see many people on TV with N95s that obviously don't fit their faces. Also, an N95 with an exhalation valve will allow potentially infectious droplets from the wearer to escape through the valve.
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So true. My girlfriend is working with Covid patients at a very busy hospital. She is helping out as her field is Ob/Gyn. The first day they took 90 minutes to get a decent fit with one of their many different types of N95 masks (she has a narrow bridge) and even with that her glasses/visor got a big foggy because air was escaping through her exhalation valve. But it was the best they could do and they desperately need her. The risk is minimal to her Covid patients since they already have Covid but still. Not ideal.


Babyblue033 said:
@missy , I had something delivered today and there were 2 guys that showed up. 1 of them was wearing a surgical mask but not the other. They drive in a truck together, then deliver things to people's homes. Exactly the type of dismissive behaviors I was worried people would have regarding the new "mandate" :confused2:
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Yeah sadly that is not uncommon. Speaking of dismissive behavior I just heard about a "pot party" that the police broke up in an abandoned building in Manhattan. With 50 people. And you probably can guess no masks. Hard to smoke while wearing masks. Though with that group of brilliant individuals I doubt they would be wearing masks even if they were not smoking. :roll: 50 people.:???:
 
@Rockdiamond I hope you are able to find some face masks you are comfortable wearing while out and about :)

One thing I would urge everyone to consider is your own health and if you are in a high risk group when choosing what face masks to purchase and wear. Please remember that health care professionals are recommended to wear N95 or KN95 masks to treat patients. For the most part these health care professionals are unfortunately unable to locate any of these masks to wear for themselves, so please be prudent when choosing what level mask you may need for yourself.
 
In order to get a little more usage out of our "regular" face masks, I'm in the process of making cloth masks to cover them. The cloth "over mask" will be washed after each use and the pre-fab mask will be used maybe three times, then discarded. I typically only wear a mask when I shop for groceries. When I'm out in the yard or going for a walk, I go au naturel.

I tried one pattern (from online) that looks like a basic four-pleat, store-bought mask. The pattern calls for the fabric to be doubled, with a space for an insert, if desired.

My question is, can I just use a single layer for the "over mask" or would it be prudent to use two layers of cloth?

I just tried wearing the homemade one over a pre-fab mask (inside our home) and find that the double-layer cloth one is kind of heavy. I sacrificed a light-weight pillow case, but perhaps the fabric is heavier than needed?

Thoughts?
 
SparklieBug said:
In order to get a little more usage out of our "regular" face masks, I'm in the process of making cloth masks to cover them. The cloth "over mask" will be washed after each use and the pre-fab mask will be used maybe three times, then discarded. I typically only wear a mask when I shop for groceries. When I'm out in the yard or going for a walk, I go au naturel.

I tried one pattern (from online) that looks like a basic four-pleat, store-bought mask. The pattern calls for the fabric to be doubled, with a space for an insert, if desired.

My question is, can I just use a single layer for the "over mask" or would it be prudent to use two layers of cloth?

I just tried wearing the homemade one over a pre-fab mask (inside our home) and find that the double-layer cloth one is kind of heavy. I sacrificed a light-weight pillow case, but perhaps the fabric is heavier than needed?

Thoughts?
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Hi sparklie, I am sorry no one seems to know the answer to this. I am only using one layer but it is a very good fabric supposedly blocks out most particles but I am not an expert. I think there is a chart here somewhere (or perhaps it is in my face mask thread) that shows the increase in % blockage against virus particles with each layer of material and it differs depending on the material. IIRC vacuum bags are the most resistant and then dish towels and by adding a layer or more it might not make that much of a difference. But again don't rely on my memory. Let me see if I can find the link for you.
 
@SparklieBug here you go. It's on this page in this thread and I also took a screen shot of the graph. There is more info but I don't know how to link the specific post for you. Instead here is the page and the graph. HTH.

Face Masks and other strategies to help slow Covid-19 spread

Looks like cdc may reverse the stance and start recommending everyone wear a mask soon. Yay. I wish I had a sewing machine so I could wear a cool cloth one when I walk to work (don’t worry the hospital is supplying me PPE but it stays at work in a brown paper bag lol). Anyone have...
www.pricescope.com

Screen Shot 2020-04-24 at 8.54.49 AM.png
 
Here is my latest face mask made by my dh. It's from a polypropylene material that is supposedly relatively effective against small particles. It is not perfect and I cannot wear it super tight or I just get claustrophobic so just doing the best I can. This is the most comfortable one I have tried so far. Wore it for about an hour and a half yesterday and I wasn't clawing to get it off by the end. So that is good for me.


facemaskbygreg.png
 
Thank so much for the re-posts, @missy ! You're seriously the best! :dance: :kiss2: Plus, that's a great look, with your mask and stylin' outfit! :mrgreen2:

It looks like it will be just fine to have a single-layer home-made mask to cover the surgical-type masks. I've made one double-layer one, and will now experiment with a single-layer model. Whoohooo! Thanks again!
 
SparklieBug said:
Thank so much for the re-posts, @missy ! You're seriously the best! :dance: :kiss2: Plus, that's a great look, with your mask and stylin' outfit! :mrgreen2:

It looks like it will be just fine to have a single-layer home-made mask to cover the surgical-type masks. I've made one double-layer one, and will now experiment with a single-layer model. Whoohooo! Thanks again!
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You’re very welcome! Glad I was helpful. Anytime. Good luck!
 
missy said:
You’re very welcome! Glad I was helpful. Anytime. Good luck!
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If I get brave, I may come back and show some of my handiwork. LOL! I generally don't share/post any photos of myself online, so selfie-type photos may not be forthcoming.
 
SparklieBug said:
If I get brave, I may come back and show some of my handiwork. LOL! I generally don't share/post any photos of myself online, so selfie-type photos may not be forthcoming.
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I would love if you shared your handiwork. I understand either way though. I have no shame lol but with a mask I feel brave sharing photos.:lol:
 
Starfacet said:
Just got ours today. Comes with an extra filter. Seems comfortable but I haven't worn it yet for any length of time. It does make me look like a badass when I'm wearing it.

RS PM2.5 Face Mask.jpg
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It looks awesome! Mine is coming late.
 
I got a notice that my Etsy ones were shipped via us mail.

The Vida ones— I have only gotten the order email. No shipping email yet (though they might not send those). I had no idea if when and how they are coming.
 
I finally got the medical type (even though not medical grade) masks I ordered from Amazon. I also ordered cloth masks from Etsy for each of us. Mine and my daughters should be here Monday. My husband's I'm not sure yet. The Etsy ones seem pretty good.....an outer layer of cotton, a layer of non woven material, and then a lining of cotton. We'll see.
 
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