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As I understand it, masks with exhalation valves only exist because that design works fine for masks intended to protect the wearer from spray-paint (and simila

As I understand it, masks with exhalation valves only exist because that design works fine for masks intended to protect the wearer from spray-paint (and similar industrial hazards). That design was never meant for use in a respiratory pandemic. There's no shortage of normal (no valve) N95/N99 masks. > based on this, the cloth masks, bandana's, gators etc need to BEAT an N95 with an exhalation valve to be considered effective A good point, but it's not the only perspective on this. If we consider that only some proportion of the population will be wearing N95/N99 masks, it benefits everyone to insist that those masks not have valves. Of course, if people aren't fully aware of the rules ahead of time, this is undermined. Or a less utilitarian angle: to deliberately build (or buy) a mask with an exhalation valve is to deliberately introduce a feature which increases risk to other people, for no appreciable upside. There should be real push-back against these designs. Seems to me the airlines/airports would do well to offer a vending machine of non-valve N95/N99 masks at reasonable prices. Do any of them do that?

onphonenow 5y ago
And this is the issue. Folks like you are fighting a (losing) battle to force people to wear uncomfortable N99 masks on flights. Heads up, plenty of folks have masks off their nose, off their mouth while eating, are wearing surgical masks, cloth masks, bandanas and other stuff that does nearly nothing. "it benefits everyone to insist that those masks not have valves." False. I can wear an N95 with a valve for hours. As a cited, the risk to OTHERS is as low as any of the allowed alternatives. More importantly, compliance is much easier. And N95 with valves despite your claim that it doesn't work against things like covid DOES in fact do a fantastic job protecting wearer. That is why the CDC itself had to do a total uturn here and now both recommends them and specifically suggests they should not be blocked. There should be real push back against this totally backwards approach in public health which by the way is not working, which is to try and force places folks in places like Florida and Texas to comply with absolutely over the top requirements (hint, they wont) while at the same not allowing folks like myself who want to wear a high protection comfortable mask (N95 with exhalation) to do so. The public health folks and scientists truly lost their minds on this. I can go into a resteraunt TODAY and see people with NO MASKS AT ALL. And yet my N95 with an exhalation valve is considered some high crime, despite no actual real science saying it doesn't work or that it increases others risks. And the upside is comfort, which is real. Why do folks NOT want to wear masks? Public health folks don't stop to ask this. One major reason if you would stop and ask is COMFORT!

onphonenow 5y ago

And this is the issue. Folks like you are fighting a (losing) battle to force people to wear uncomfortable N99 masks on flights. Heads up, plenty of folks have masks off their nose, off their mouth while eating, are wearing surgical masks, cloth masks, bandanas and other stuff that does nearly nothing. "it benefits everyone to insist that those masks not have valves." False. I can wear an N95 with a valve for hours. As a cited, the risk to OTHERS is as low as any of the allowed alternatives. More importantly, compliance is much easier. And N95 with valves despite your claim that it doesn't work against things like covid DOES in fact do a fantastic job protecting wearer. That is why the CDC itself had to do a total uturn here and now both recommends them and specifically suggests they should not be blocked. There should be real push back against this totally backwards approach in public health which by the way is not working, which is to try and force places folks in places like Florida and Texas to comply with absolutely over the top requirements (hint, they wont) while at the same not allowing folks like myself who want to wear a high protection comfortable mask (N95 with exhalation) to do so. The public health folks and scientists truly lost their minds on this. I can go into a resteraunt TODAY and see people with NO MASKS AT ALL. And yet my N95 with an exhalation valve is considered some high crime, despite no actual real science saying it doesn't work or that it increases others risks. And the upside is comfort, which is real. Why do folks NOT want to wear masks? Public health folks don't stop to ask this. One major reason if you would stop and ask is COMFORT!