I think these masks sound like they should be more effective than the average DIY mask. They have both patterns for free and also are selling the masks. I wonder what you think about these?
These masks were made by people who run a business taking things and upscaling fabrics into other objects. They were shocked by the suggestion to use masks that did not appear to them to be very effective (gaps, not good filtration) so tried combining all different fabrics and filters and found something that worked better than other things they tried.
They bought a machine that could test down to 0.3 microns to use to test.
'âThey discovered that by adding two blue shop towels and using a design that produces a tighter-fitting mask, they could make a mask that could block up to 95% of the particles they could test, while the cotton masks blocked 20% to 60% of the particles.â
âInserting two of these towels into an ordinary cotton mask brought filtration up to 93% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, the smallest their machine could test. Meanwhile, the cotton masks filtered 60% of particles at best in their tests, Schempf said.â
Not meant to replace n95. For people going to grocery store, etc.
Their universal tie mask is the same type that they designed in the article above. Pricey compared to other masks people can buy but if it works better than others I think that is worth it.
Re: cloth masks⊠I understand and can accept that they wonât protect me, but would love the stats on how much virus it suppresses in an indoor situation when a Covid positive person wears it, taking into consideration that these homemade masks leak alot and are improperly worn. Blocks 20%? 50%? Not expecting anyone here to know, itâs just one of a list of things Iâm anxious to get real studies on and would love if government and press could make it clear how helpful they are
I run outside frequently in areas where there is a relatively low density of people (I do not go to popular parks, etc. that get crowded). When I encounter someone, I keep a good distance (> 6 feet) when passing by. Since it is outside and the time in proximity is very short (a few seconds), the risk of either giving or receiving virus in such an encounter is very low compared to shopping in a grocery store (1-10 minutes indoors waiting in line to check out and checking out) or eating in a restaurant (15 minutes to over an hour, indoors for most restaurants; restaurants around here are still take-out only) near someone at a similar distance.
He does write about (among numerous other things) masks of various types and how much filtration of viruses both outbound (to protect others) and inbound (to protect the wearer) they provide, with references:
"A study published in Nature last month shows that, if worn properly and with the right fit, surgical masks are effective at blocking ninety-nine per cent of the respiratory droplets expelled by people with coronaviruses or influenza viruses. The material of a double-layered cotton maskâthe kind many people have been making at homeâcan block droplet emissions, as well." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0843-2
"Donât ditch your T-shirt mask, though. A recent, extensive review of the research from an international consortium of scientists suggests that if at least sixty per cent of the population wore masks that were just sixty-per-cent effective in blocking viral transmissionâwhich a well-fitting, two-layer cotton mask isâthe epidemic could be stopped." https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202004.0203/v1
"Benefit to the wearer may be limited, but itâs likely not insignificant: laboratory research has found that surgical masks reduce inhalation of respiratory-droplet-size particles by about three-quarters. Two-layer cotton masks filter about half as much on average, though a good fit can improve that considerably." https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.17.20069567v2.full.pdf
"There are masks specifically designed to not only protect others but also protect the wearer from infection: N95 respirators. These are masks that are designed to fit tightly around the nose and mouth, so that the air you breathe comes entirely through the mask, not around it. They use a filter material with a higher electrostatic charge that blocks at least ninety-five per cent of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. I protect you and I protect me."
"Thereâs a more comfortable but more sinister N95âthe N95 with a valve. The valve makes exhalation easier by getting rid of outward filtration: I protect me; I expose you. These masks are designed for people working in industrial settings where the protection is against dust or asbestos, not viruses."
The short form of what he claims:
Protect others: surgical or N95 (no valve) > cloth > N95 (with valve) or none
Protect wearer: N95 > surgical > cloth > none
(and surgical and cloth masks protect others better than the wearer)
I think that masks need two things to work well which are good seal and good filtration. Some homemade masks have this better than others. There is a big range when we talk about homemade masks. I do wonder how close it is possible to get to N95 with DIY/purchase masks. I wonder if any of the expensive masks such as the one Gweneth Paltrow wears that claim to be washable n95 equivalents work.
Well, as posted in the mask thread, putting a stocking layer over the cloth mask improves the fit as well. They recommend queen size for greater comfort.
HI, I canât find the source for the percentages or I would post it. If your not by anyone then no but in my area the joggers sorta come out of nowhere⊠Lol. I donât wear one just walking but I also avoid people. But again I keep one in my pocket just if I feel I need to. Itâs not an exact science. On days I go to a few stores or I am seeing patients in my office I changed out of my scrubs and when I come home take a shower before sitting down and having dinner. We all just have to do common sense things like wash out hands when coming in from outside and donât touch your face. I was at a bank today and the managers mask was defective and kept falling down over his mouth as he spoke. So he touched and adjusted his mask 20 times (yes, I counted) and then touched the computer that several people used and the desk where I was standing where people were receiving money. I went up to him and told him how to put on his very cheap surgical mask once he got a new oneâŠ
So again told him to wash his hands and stop touching his face. It was done all very friendly and he appreciated it.
Yikes, I didnât know there was a whole thread about masks. Wasnât trying to hijack this thread, I was just curious about what any medical professionals thought about the immune system and wearing a mask since I read some information on that. SorryâŠ
Some chemo and other patients were given n95 masks. Some people are married to or are healthcare workers, some have purchased what they had described to them as n95 or similar masks (may be counterfeit or not).
In any case, I know quite a few folks who are not seeing c19 patients who have and wear what they believe are n95 or similar masks.
The rare times (pre c19) Iâve tried wearing a n95 mask, I could only tolerate it for about 5-15 minutes. It is very challenging to breathe in them, particularly if you have any lung condition.
Yes, leave the N95 masks for health care workers. Note that Gawande is a physician who works in a hospital, so that is presumably why he included N95 masks in his assessment of masks.
If they are the ones with the one-way valves (commonly used in dusty construction/demolition contexts), and you have even the smallest bit of altruism or caring for others, you may want to put another mask over the valve to reduce the possibility of spreading the virus if you are wearing such a mask and happen to be asymptomatically contagious.
I had an emergency patient in last week. He showed up wearing an N95 mask and gloves. He and his wife are âsurvivalistsâ and have lots of gear. I didnât have the heart to tell him that his N95 is an obvious fake one. Not the respirator type that front line health care workers wear.
Dentists are for the most part unable to get N95s. We have been left off the supply chain. Medical first (as it should be), industry next. The KN95s coming from China are almost all fake. The FDA took 80% of the registered/approved Asian/China import companies off the master list this week. I am still closed, but prepared with Level 3 masks, face shields, eye protection, extra gowns, bonnets if needed. I am going to be very hot when we start our soft opening, maybe in June. The KN95s I received this week are fake.
I would not even think about doing that. But thank you for bringing this up. Today, a CNN correspondent was reporting from a beach in LA wearing such a mask. I wanted to scream in his ear, âDude, do you realize that the mask you are wearing is useless to protect the others from your spit?!â
