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The main issue is people think masks prevent you getting sick. Rather they are designed to prevent you making others sick.

hollerith 2y ago
Not true of masks that comform to NIOSH's N95 specification such as the ones routinely worn in hospitals to provide care to COVID patients and which are readily available for $2 per mask without a prescription.
- monksy 2y ago
  KF94s, (western tested)KN95s, and FFP2s were much better options for the general population rather than occupationally certified N95s. Yet, the US refused to acknowledge PPE for the commoner.
  - leptons 2y ago
    I'll stick with my P100, thanks.
monksy 2y ago
The public health initive was a collective one that tried to incentivize widespread usage as opposed as personal protective equipment (as that good masks are). Unfortunately the initiave was a (many)day(s) late, and $1(00000000) short. Other nations [that used a higher standard of mask] did not have nearly as bad of numbers as the US had under the mask usage policies/regulations.
leptons 2y ago
>Rather they are designed to prevent you making others sick. Except N95 masks weren't designed for that at all. N95s and better masks have been worn for decades to protect the wearer from all kinds of airborne problems, from dust to virus particles. They have proven quite effective at that task. But maybe you think all those workers in the Ebola ward are just wearing masks as a fashion statement? Masks do prevent the wearer from getting sick, far more than wearing no mask at all. Is it 100% protection? No, but nobody should be complaining about that. I'll take 95% protection or even 50% protection over no protection at all.
- Animats 2y ago
  Right. The classic "3M 8210 Plus N95 Performance Sanding And Fiberglass Disposable Respirator (20-Pack)" sells for about $1 in boxes of 20 at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. That's a good mask. Wearing one properly isn't rocket science, but is non-obvious. There's an instruction sheet in the box. You put it on, and then, using your palms, squeeze the part over your nose, which bends the mask and the metal stiffener. Check that you got it right by exhaling, then take a deep breath and feel the edges of the mask pushing against your face. If you don't feel the mask pushing, you did it wrong. Training video from OSHA: [1] There's a serial number on the box. If you type it into 3M's web site, they will tell you if it's valid and if anyone ever queried that number before. This protects against counterfeit masks. Once you get an OK from the site, initial the box, so you don't ask the site again. There's also a test kit you can buy, with a little bottle of a strong-smelling substance. If you can smell it with the mask on, you did it wrong. The way these things work is subtle. There's an inner layer that's an electret, with a permanent electric field. Particles smaller than the mask mesh are caught and held by the electric charge. That's what makes these work against really small particles. They're actually more effective as particles get smaller. The "95%" is for the particle size for which they are least effective. I've been wearing those since the beginning of COVID and never got COVID. I had a supply of those, because I used to use a water jet cutter at TechShop. This is all ordinary personal protective equipment, familiar to anyone who works around moderately dangerous industrial processes. [1] https://youtu.be/pGXiUyAoEd8?t=149 https://youtu.be/pGXiUyAoEd8?t=149
  - leptons 2y ago
    Thanks for this detailed reply, TIL! I've been wearing the 3M 8210 N95 masks when indoors with other people and I have avoided getting sick at all for 4.5 years. Before covid lockdowns, I would get sick at least 5 times a year and the only thing that changed was wearing the mask when in higher risk situations.
- wordofx 2y ago
  Sure. Masks help the wearer. But the main purpose is to stop sick people spreading. And it’s more effective at preventing spread than preventing contraction.

hollerith 2y ago

Not true of masks that comform to NIOSH's N95 specification such as the ones routinely worn in hospitals to provide care to COVID patients and which are readily available for $2 per mask without a prescription.

monksy 2y ago
KF94s, (western tested)KN95s, and FFP2s were much better options for the general population rather than occupationally certified N95s. Yet, the US refused to acknowledge PPE for the commoner.
- leptons 2y ago
  I'll stick with my P100, thanks.

monksy 2y ago

The public health initive was a collective one that tried to incentivize widespread usage as opposed as personal protective equipment (as that good masks are). Unfortunately the initiave was a (many)day(s) late, and $1(00000000) short. Other nations [that used a higher standard of mask] did not have nearly as bad of numbers as the US had under the mask usage policies/regulations.

leptons 2y ago

>Rather they are designed to prevent you making others sick. Except N95 masks weren't designed for that at all. N95s and better masks have been worn for decades to protect the wearer from all kinds of airborne problems, from dust to virus particles. They have proven quite effective at that task. But maybe you think all those workers in the Ebola ward are just wearing masks as a fashion statement? Masks do prevent the wearer from getting sick, far more than wearing no mask at all. Is it 100% protection? No, but nobody should be complaining about that. I'll take 95% protection or even 50% protection over no protection at all.

Animats 2y ago
Right. The classic "3M 8210 Plus N95 Performance Sanding And Fiberglass Disposable Respirator (20-Pack)" sells for about $1 in boxes of 20 at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. That's a good mask. Wearing one properly isn't rocket science, but is non-obvious. There's an instruction sheet in the box. You put it on, and then, using your palms, squeeze the part over your nose, which bends the mask and the metal stiffener. Check that you got it right by exhaling, then take a deep breath and feel the edges of the mask pushing against your face. If you don't feel the mask pushing, you did it wrong. Training video from OSHA: [1] There's a serial number on the box. If you type it into 3M's web site, they will tell you if it's valid and if anyone ever queried that number before. This protects against counterfeit masks. Once you get an OK from the site, initial the box, so you don't ask the site again. There's also a test kit you can buy, with a little bottle of a strong-smelling substance. If you can smell it with the mask on, you did it wrong. The way these things work is subtle. There's an inner layer that's an electret, with a permanent electric field. Particles smaller than the mask mesh are caught and held by the electric charge. That's what makes these work against really small particles. They're actually more effective as particles get smaller. The "95%" is for the particle size for which they are least effective. I've been wearing those since the beginning of COVID and never got COVID. I had a supply of those, because I used to use a water jet cutter at TechShop. This is all ordinary personal protective equipment, familiar to anyone who works around moderately dangerous industrial processes. [1] https://youtu.be/pGXiUyAoEd8?t=149 https://youtu.be/pGXiUyAoEd8?t=149
- leptons 2y ago
  Thanks for this detailed reply, TIL! I've been wearing the 3M 8210 N95 masks when indoors with other people and I have avoided getting sick at all for 4.5 years. Before covid lockdowns, I would get sick at least 5 times a year and the only thing that changed was wearing the mask when in higher risk situations.
wordofx 2y ago
Sure. Masks help the wearer. But the main purpose is to stop sick people spreading. And it’s more effective at preventing spread than preventing contraction.