4 ms·

Someone on HN just bought and tested a ton of masks, including surgical masks. Surgical mask material does filter nearly as well as N95 mask material, and the d

by creato 5y ago

Someone on HN just bought and tested a ton of masks, including surgical masks. Surgical mask material does filter nearly as well as N95 mask material, and the difference is fit. Based on data reported by this guy with actual equipment to test masks, most of your assumptions are highly questionable. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29878971 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29878971 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29888381 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29888381 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29892032 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29892032

seanmcdirmid 5y ago
Surgical masks are more fluid resistant than N95 masks, which is why they are used in hospital settings (the goal is to note contaminate the patients, not really about self protection that the N95 is better at). They are designed to solve different problems.
- creato 5y ago
  Go read the links I posted. You're just regurgitating whatever sounded plausible to you ages ago and has now become "knowledge" to you. That poster literally measured particle filtration efficiency (PFE) as the mask exists on his face. The data, summarized for the lazy: - Surgical mask worn normally: 79% PFE - Surgical mask with an ear saver: 91% PFE - Surgical mask with a brace: 98% PFE - N95, worst fit: 80% PFE - N95, best fit: 99% PFE
  - nostrebored 5y ago
    The links you posted... from a mask salesman. PFE isn’t the measure you want: you need to know what amount of 13 micron particles are blocked by the mask in human conditions.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    > You're just regurgitating whatever sounded plausible to you ages ago and has now become "knowledge" to you. This isn't rocket science, see: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandingDifference3-508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandingDifference... Surgical masks: Fluid resistant and provides the wearer protection against large droplets, splashes, or sprays of bodily or other hazardous fluids. Protects the patient from the wearer’s respiratory emissions. Does NOT provide the wearer with a reliable level of protection from inhaling smaller airborne particles and is not considered respiratory protection N95 masks: Reduces wearer’s exposure to particles including small particle aerosols and large droplets (only non-oil aerosols). Filters out at least 95% of airborne particles including large and small particles. The masks have and have always had completely different purposes. The fact that we are using both during this pandemic to protect against COVID not withstanding. Now, people are using surgical masks in novel new ways (with braces and such to try and retrofit a seal on them), but they were never intended for that.
    - justin66 5y ago
      Relevant to the comments about fluid resistance: the difference between 3m's medical N95 respirators and construction N95 respirators is often nothing more than color, being stamped with a lot #, and additional fluid resistance. For example, the 1860 vs 8210. [0] Medical personnel using the construction respirators out of necessity can wear a surgical mask over them, it's something I've seen locally. (I don't know whether that's a practice that predates COVID 19) [0] http://docplayer.net/203020246-N95-tool-kit-algorithms-and-compliance-spectrum-health-contact-steve-mogridge-and-brent-petersen-highlight-denotes-new-content.html http://docplayer.net/203020246-N95-tool-kit-algorithms-and-c...

by creato 5y ago

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

Surgical masks are more fluid resistant than N95 masks, which is why they are used in hospital settings (the goal is to note contaminate the patients, not really about self protection that the N95 is better at). They are designed to solve different problems.

creato 5y ago
Go read the links I posted. You're just regurgitating whatever sounded plausible to you ages ago and has now become "knowledge" to you. That poster literally measured particle filtration efficiency (PFE) as the mask exists on his face. The data, summarized for the lazy: - Surgical mask worn normally: 79% PFE - Surgical mask with an ear saver: 91% PFE - Surgical mask with a brace: 98% PFE - N95, worst fit: 80% PFE - N95, best fit: 99% PFE
- nostrebored 5y ago
  The links you posted... from a mask salesman. PFE isn’t the measure you want: you need to know what amount of 13 micron particles are blocked by the mask in human conditions.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  > You're just regurgitating whatever sounded plausible to you ages ago and has now become "knowledge" to you. This isn't rocket science, see: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandingDifference3-508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandingDifference... Surgical masks: Fluid resistant and provides the wearer protection against large droplets, splashes, or sprays of bodily or other hazardous fluids. Protects the patient from the wearer’s respiratory emissions. Does NOT provide the wearer with a reliable level of protection from inhaling smaller airborne particles and is not considered respiratory protection N95 masks: Reduces wearer’s exposure to particles including small particle aerosols and large droplets (only non-oil aerosols). Filters out at least 95% of airborne particles including large and small particles. The masks have and have always had completely different purposes. The fact that we are using both during this pandemic to protect against COVID not withstanding. Now, people are using surgical masks in novel new ways (with braces and such to try and retrofit a seal on them), but they were never intended for that.
  - justin66 5y ago
    Relevant to the comments about fluid resistance: the difference between 3m's medical N95 respirators and construction N95 respirators is often nothing more than color, being stamped with a lot #, and additional fluid resistance. For example, the 1860 vs 8210. [0] Medical personnel using the construction respirators out of necessity can wear a surgical mask over them, it's something I've seen locally. (I don't know whether that's a practice that predates COVID 19) [0] http://docplayer.net/203020246-N95-tool-kit-algorithms-and-compliance-spectrum-health-contact-steve-mogridge-and-brent-petersen-highlight-denotes-new-content.html http://docplayer.net/203020246-N95-tool-kit-algorithms-and-c...