#Project N95

[feminist-space]

ProjectN95 is shutting down

Tumblr Friends! ProjectN95 is unfortunately closing its doors on December 15th. They've done SO much to provide masks, respirators, PPE to healthcare workers and the public since 2020, and this is honestly such a loss of a non-profit organization. They've helped a lot of people over these years.

If you need quality masks/respirators, they're having a sale right now on ProjectN95.org. I definitely recommend checking them out sooner than later.

[cloama]

If you cannot afford quality masks, visit Project n95 and fill out the quick form to receive free n95 masks by mail.

[rikaklassen]

Cakelin Fable over at TikTok scraped the information from Project N95 a few months ago after Project N95 announcing shutting down December 18, 2023 (archived copy of New York Times article) then compiled the data into an Excel spreadsheet [.XLSX, 18.2 MB] with Patrick from PatricktheBioSTEAMist. 

You can access the back up files above.

The webpage is archived to Wayback Machine.

The code for the web-scraping project can be found over at GitHub.

Cakelin's social media details:

Website

Beacons

TikTok

Notion

Medium

Substack

X/Twitter

Bluesky

Instagram

Pinterest

GitHub

Redbubble

Cash App

Patrick's social media details:

Linktree

YouTube

TikTok

Notion

Venmo

[pandemichub]

The Project N95 shop will remain OPEN until December 15th, 2023.

Reblog to circulate post on Tumblr

I'm uncertain if there's a way to save this non profit but I'd like to encourage us all to try. We already lost another this past year 'Body Politic' because they did not get the financial supported needed to continue, which included expansion to be able to operate well.

Part of building community and a better future involves investing. And we cannot hope to have resources, infrastructure and responses to meet the progressive derailing and degrading conditions and societies around us without doing so.

It requires time, energy, heart and sometimes yes, money. The more we put into projects like this, local and small companies, sustainability, kindness, deconstructing & decolonization and less of ourselves and resources into people, organizations and projects that do not care about us or are harming us, we actually have a road to the bright possibilities we hope and speak of so beautifully.

[alienjaes]

As of December 18th, ProjectN95 is closed. Their site does however have links to other purveyors of N95/equivalent masks, and they have said they'll maintain and update those links for a period of time!

(Also worth noting: ProjectN95 was US-based, so most of those links will likely be US-based providers - remember to check if they ship internationally!)

My new favorite thing: People making their reusable elastomeric respirators beautiful! (Usually the Dentec P100 or the Dentec N95, which are NIOSH-certified and reusable.)

(Above is the artist @nickelpin)

I've been collecting as many of these customizations as I can find, and I think they fall into a few categories:

The first is the colorful distraction, where it seems like the aim is to make the mask colorful and cheerful — less scary — which distracts from the apocalyptic / gas mask vibes, while still being simple enough for everyday wear.

2. The second is make it fashion, where the aim is to just make something that looks so incredibly cool that you feel beautiful wearing it, and it feels like a stylish accessory. These use lots of shiny elements and swirling patterns (all of the below by @nickelpin)

3. And the third is punk where the mask customization embraces and enhances its non-conforming / resistance undertones. My favorite in this category is by @andrewshumate, who installed a CO2 monitor and set it up so the filters change color based on the CO2 levels in the space.

[thelooniemoonie]

Oh man, I am....not feeling so good.

Something definitely feels WrongTM for the past week. Most likely due to the long exposure in wildfire smoke. I legitimately feel depressed.

I think..I should take a break from doing art until I feel better (which knowing me, probably won't take long until I get impatient).

[spidergvven]

hey i know that i dont talk about it a lot on here but this blog is pro masking. official govt and world organizations ending the health emergency doesn't mean covid is over. long term organ damage happens w every infection. the chances of long covid increase w each infection. we are facing an ever evolving infectious disease with no institutional protection. respirators protect you and others, please mask up!

you can request free n95 masks from project n95 here:

all we have is each other, mask up and take care of your community

[lotus-tower]

The Swiss Cheese Model of Covid Prevention

An edited version of the swiss cheese model tailored towards the measures that you as an individual can take to minimize your risk of infection. Public health is ultimately what its name implies, public, but that doesn't mean you're powerless.

Covid prevention is not all-or-nothing. Think of it as risk reduction, rather than a binary.

Let's go through these step by step.

VACCINES

The current vaccines are meant primarily to reduce chances of severe illness, hospitalization, and death. They will reduce your chance of infection a bit--but not nearly as much as you might think. You should still get your boosters regularly, because avoiding severe illness is of course worth doing.

If you haven't gotten the updated monovalent vaccine yet, go get it. It is not a booster. Think of it as a new vaccine. It's targeted towards the XBB lineages, which are now the most common variants. Your last boosters were likely of the bivalent type, aimed at both the original Covid strain from 2020 and Omicron. The new vaccine is monovalent, meaning it targets one family in particular.

Some studies suggest that the Novavax vaccine, which is a more traditional protein-based vaccine, is more effective and safer than mRNA vaccines, and offers better protection against future variants. Of course, the data we have so far isn't 100% conclusive (the last paper I linked is a preprint). Make of these findings what you will, just something to keep in mind. The new Novavax vaccine's availability is still limited, especially outside of the US.

MASKS

Masking is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself. While it is true that masking and reducing Covid transmission protects those around you, the idea that masks can't protect the wearer is outdated information from the early days of the pandemic when medical authorities refused to acknowledge that Covid is airborne.

The key to protecting yourself is to wear a well-fitting respirator. You want to minimize any gaps where air might leak out. If your glasses get fogged up, that's a sign that air is leaking.

Headbands will always have a tighter fit than earloop masks (and therefore provide better protection). However, you can use earloop extenders to improve the fit of earloop masks. You can find these online. Your comfort in wearing a mask is important, but there are options for compromise.

The above graphic doesn't include elastomeric respirators. While some (like the Flo Mask) are expensive, they can be much more affordable than buying disposables--look for P100 respirators at your local hardware store, but make sure it fits your face well.

For more general information, see this FAQ. For mask recommendations (NA-centric, sorry!), see my list here or Mask Nerd's YouTube channel.

For situations where you need to hydrate but don't want to take your mask off, consider the SIP valve.

Not even N95s are foolproof (N95 means it filters at least 95% of particles--with the other 5% potentially reaching you). Most people will likely not have a perfect fit. There will be situations where you'll have to take your mask off. The key is risk reduction, and that's why the Swiss cheese model is crucial.

If you can't afford high-quality masks, look for a local mask bloc or other organization that gives out free masks. Project N95 has unfortunately shut down. In Canada, there's donatemask.ca.

AVOID CROWDED INDOOR SPACES

This is rather self-explanatory. Indoor transmission is much, much, much more likely than outdoor transmission. If it's possible to move an activity outdoors instead, consider doing so.

If possible, try going to places like stores or the post office during less busy hours.

Viral particles can stay in the air for a considerable amount of time even after the person who expelled them has left. Do not take off your mask just because no one is currently present, if you know that it was previously crowded.

A CO2 monitor is a decent proxy for how many viral particles may have accumulated in the air around you. The gold standard is the Aranet4, but it's expensive, so here are some more affordable alternatives.

VENTILATION AND AIR FILTERS

Ventilation is effective for the same reason that outdoors is safer than indoors. If it's warm enough, keep windows open whenever possible. If it's cold, even cracking them open occasionally is better than nothing. Try to open windows or doors on different sides of a room to maximize airflow.

HEPA air filters can significantly reduce viral transmission indoors. Make sure to find one suitable for the room size, and replace the filters regularly. You want to look for devices with HEPA-13 filters.

You can use websites like these to calculate how long it takes for a device to change all the air in a room. Remember what I said about viral particles being able to hang around even after people have left? If an air purifier provides 2 air changes per hour, that means that after 30 minutes, any potential viral particles should be gone.

If you can't afford a commercial air filter, here's a useful DIY filter you can make with relatively simple materials. The filtration capacity is great--but due to being built with duct tape, replacing filters will be a challenge.

If you have to hold meetings or meet with people at work, having a smaller filter on the desk between you will also reduce chances of infection.

As a bonus, HEPA filters will also filter out other things like dust and allergens!

REDUCE LENGTH OF EXPOSURE IF EXPOSURE IS UNAVOIDABLE

Viral load refers to the amount of virus in a person's blood. If you've been exposed to someone with Covid, how much you've been exposed matters.

You might escape infection if the viral load you've been exposed to is very small. Or, even if you get infected, there will be less virus in you overall, leading to milder illness--and crucially, a lower chance of the virus penetrating deep into your body, creating reservoirs in your organs and wreaking long-term havoc.

A low viral load is also less contagious.

This is the same reason that wearing your mask most of the time, but having to take it off for eating, is still much better than not wearing your mask at all.

RECHARGEABLE PORTABLE AIR FILTERS

You might attract some odd looks. But if you're at high risk or just want to be as protected as possible, small portable air filters can help. Try to find models small enough to take with you on public transportation, to school, or while traveling.

These devices will be far too small to clean the air in the whole room. The goal is to have it filter air in your immediate vicinity. Be sure to angle the device so that the air is blowing in your face.

Unfortunately, rechargeable devices are much rarer and harder to find than normal air filters, and many are also expensive.

The best option at the moment, apart from DIY (which is possible, but you need to know what you're doing), seems to be the SmartAir QT3. The size and shape are a bit clunky, but it fits in a backpack. Its battery life isn't long, but it can be supplemented with a power bank.

NASAL SPRAYS

There's some research that suggests that some nasal sprays may be effective in reducing risk of infection by interfering with viruses' ability to bind to your cells.

These sprays are generally affordable, easy to find, and safe. The key ingredient is carrageenan, which is extracted from seaweed. So there are no potential risks or side effects.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging carefully. Here's a video on how to properly use nasal sprays if you've never used them before.

Covixyl is another type of nasal spray that uses a different key ingredient, ethyl lauroyl arginate HCI. It also aims to disrupt viruses' ability to bind to cell walls. Unfortunately, I think it's difficult to obtain outside of the US.

CONCLUSION

None of the methods listed here are foolproof on their own. But by layering them, you can drastically reduce your chances of infection.

The most important layers, by far, are masking and air quality. But you should also stay conscientious when engaging with those layers. Don't let yourself become complacent with rules of thumb, and allow yourself to assess risk and make thought out decisions when situations arise where you might have to take off your mask or enter a high-risk indoor area, such as a hospital.

Remember that the goal is risk reduction. It's impossible to live risk-free, because we live among countless other people. But you can use knowledge and tools to keep yourself as safe as possible.

[liminalweirdo]

@shiningroyalty a shirt probably won't do much to protect you or others, but if you're in the US there are lots of places that donate N95 or similar masks to people who cannot access or afford them. Check out Project N95's program where they can donate masks to those in need. Masks4All on reddit is (or was? I'm not sure what's going on with them while reddit's a shitshow) is a pretty great resource as well.

[feminist-space]

Wear a mask (respirators like N95s or KN95s or KF94s), especially in healthcare settings, in public transportation, in crowded places. Long covid has severe consequences that, coupled with the dystopian nightmare that is everything else, can be devastating. It's worth it to at least try to take steps to stay safe by wearing a mask. For ourselves and for the people around us.

If you need help getting masks, there are mask blocs throughout the country that you can reach out to. And Project N95 also has resources for those who cannot afford N95 etc respirators.

Excerpts from article:

"About one in four Covid patients experience long-term symptoms weeks or months after getting infected, according to multiple studies published last year."

"A May study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that both unvaccinated and vaccinated people are at risk of long Covid. The risk is higher for the unvaccinated, but the study suggested that vaccines only reduce the risk of long Covid by 15%."

"The report estimates that 2 million to 4 million of those people are currently out of work due to long Covid."

"If 4 million long Covid patients are out of work, the lost earnings could be as high as $230 billion, the report says.

That’s nearly 1% of the country’s current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) of $24.88 trillion."

"The condition can undeniably impact a patient’s life, work and health. Last year, the Americans with Disabilities Act labeled long Covid a disability because of how it can limit the major life activities of patients.

A July 2021 study from the Patient-Led Research Collaborative measured the condition’s effect on patients’ work over the course of seven months. Only about 27% of long Covid patients worked as many hours as they did before failing ill. Roughly 23% weren’t working at all, as a direct result of long Covid. That included being on sick leave, disability leave, quitting, being fired or being unable to find a job that would accommodate them."

[disasterhimbo]

[ID: an edit of the “you guys are getting paid?” meme from We’re The Millers. The character looks incredulously at someone next to the camera. He has been edited to be wearing a black cloth mask and the words have been changed to “you guys stopped wearing your masks?”]

basically every day i feel like i have to post this meme i made a while back

[pandemichub]

"Proceeds from the Project N95 shop and financial contributions from our donors are no longer enough to support our charitable mission. We have made the difficult decision to wind down operations and donate remaining inventory and funds in order to do as much good as possible with our limited remaining resources."

[bitchfitch]

Idk. my hottest take in relation to stained glass has to do with resin. So Many YouTubers do "stained glass resin" vids and i know why they do it, because total boat pays them to, but it's gotten your average joe thinking its the better and easier craft.

its literally not, like, in anyway. Like ignoring that resin is just plastic and these people are using gallons of it to convince folk to give their sponsors, who are one of the larger plastic waste creators, a lot of money. Resin is more expensive to do in terms of raw material and is only getting more expensive as plastic regulations tighten up and require the company's to offset the massive amount of waste they're generating. It's way less easy, once that resin starts curing your on a clock vs being able to just fuck off whenever you like, and if you fuck up an SG piece, Big woop just melt off the solder or retry the cut, it's not going to ruin your entire project, while resin isn't even the type of plastic you can melt and reshape.

and the most like Irritating one, Resin isn't safer to do than SG! it just isn't!

like, here's the thing, you can absolutely cut yourself on broken glass or bump the soldering iron, but that's 2 seconds of pain and a bandaid vs resin, which is a known carcinogen and Ridiculously toxic to the point of the fumes alone making people sick and killing pets. Literally all the safety kit for SG is is a pair of glasses and some gardening gloves (which you resuse infinitely instead of often replacing multiple times a project), resin needs eye protection, full skin protection, a proper n95 or other equivalent filter rated for the hazardous chemicals in resin, and Real good ventilation.

And when you're done you have to clean all that plastic crap up instead of just sweeping a bit.

but if you mention any of that during your video, no one will give more money to the people sponsoring you!

[aropride]

reasons i cant start smoking cigs

- already have conditions effecting my lungs and breathing, dont need more

- cigs and healthcare are both expensive

- nobody in my family smokes, i cant be the first

- very addictive personality means i can do nothing in moderation

- family history of cancer, dont want cancer

- saw a video of a guy marinating meat in cigarette smoke, was not happy with results

- just bc my hot friends do it doesnt mean i can

- pulling down my n95 to smoke a cigarette would not help cultivate the consistent self-image im trying to project to others

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

What do you look for/ ask about when you visit a zoo? Is an AZA accreditation a guarantee of a zoo being good?

At this point, I don't take any accreditation as a sign that a zoo or sanctuary is good or bad. I've seen too many issues at AZA zoos and enough stellar unaccredited places to make any blanket judgement.

Here's some of what I look at to decide how I feel about a place:

Are the habitats in good repair? Is there visible deterioration in the habitat furniture, water damage, etc? Are there issues like exposed heating elements that could hurt an animal? Are exclusion barriers around heating elements or staff access well-built and secure?

Have things been recently cleaned? (Obviously, some animals poop in their water elements the second they're let back on habitat after cleaning - so this is more looking at stuff that's more than a day old, like visibly rotting/stepped in food).

Is the age/activity level of the animals appropriate for the habitats they're in? This one can take a bit of asking to find out, but it matters when places have older construction. Some of the outdated exhibit styles with less space to move or climb are fine for geriatric animals, but not for younger, more energetic ones. Facilities can often repurpose old exhibits for different species, too, if they can’t renovate.

Is the messaging and signage consistent with the ethos of the facility? Is the signage correct? If things are older I can forgive minor errors or outdated info because that stuff is expensive to replace, but new signs should be accurate. Also, if things are incorrect, what's the topic? An error about habitat range is one thing, a sign misleading guests about USDA regulations is another.

Are they doing animal encounters, and if so, how are they set up? Are they voluntary? Are they safe for both the people and animals?

Do I generally feel safe / welcome at the facility? This can be based on things like cleanliness, fence height, general vibe. I've been to places that just don't feel like they want to be a zoo, or want guests, and it was weird AF.

Are animals that are visibly injured or sick under veterinary care? Is it being messaged about transparently?

Are they taking appropriate COVID precautions around susceptible species? (This one is hard lately because IMHO I've seen mayyybe one zoo reliably making staff wear N95s around cats and primates.)

Are the safety precautions appropriate? Are there easy places where guests could contact animals that haven't been addressed? Are spots where people frequently try to reach out to fencing retrofitted or staffed to prevent it?

As you can see, I'm generally looking at how a place functions. There's no specific lines about it something is good or bad - I try to evaluate situations and look at how a zoo is (or isn't) addressing it. The reality is that not every facility has the money to emulate the aesthetics of the big legacy AZA zoos, and so you may see chain fencing or unpainted concrete. As long as it's safe and functional and the animal welfare is good, that's what matters. Renovations cost money. Signage costs money. Places always have to juggle what to prioritize, and big donations are often earmarked for specific projects or species. So for me it sort of boils down to "what are they doing, why, and how" plus a general vibe check.

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

Hi, saw one of your reblogs about masking and wanted to ask something. Sorry if you're not the right person to ask, feel free to ignore, I just haven't got anyone irl that even cares anymore. I've been masking daily this entire time ever since the pandemic first started, but I'm beginning to wonder, when are we going to be able to stop masking? Is there anywhere you can recommend where I can inform myself about this, about what our outlook is like re: COVID and other safety precautions and that type of stuff? The government's position in my country is pretty much just "masks are no longer mandatory" (I wasn't even allowed to get a booster this year, they're apparently not recommended for under 60s here unless you're high risk), and there isn't a culture of masking when sick here, so almost no one does, not even doctors. And it's starting to affect me socially as well, you kind of end up socially excluded/ostracized quite a lot when most places you go you're the only one masking (which I realize is not as bad as death or long COVID but I do have to admit it's getting to me). I guess I'm just wondering if there's anything else to look forward to other than masking indefinitely?

I'm really sorry but unless and until there are widespread, systemic safety measures in place, as far as I know masking is gonna continue to be your best option in terms of protecting yourself and others from covid and its complications :(

There are less effective but still useful options, like the covixyl nasal spray and nasal sanitizers, and iota-carageenan nasal spray and/or cpc mouthwash as post exposure prophylaxis—but those are most effective when paired with masking.

If you do at any point decide to stop masking, altogether or in certain situations, I hope you'll consider using some of those preventative tools. They're dramatically better than no protection at all.

Air cleaners like the corsi-rosenthal box can help if you're in a space where you'd be allowed to set that up. Socializing outside helps a little esp if you're spaced out.

But unless systems get put in place to overhaul ventilation systems and quarantine sick people etc the most effective option I'm aware of as an individual is a well-fitting N95/kf94/kn95 mask with no gapping at the cheeks or anywhere else.

It might be worth finding out who in your area is organizing to try to demand or implement better covid safety measures, and see if you can join them. Try disability advocacy groups—even if they don't have a project like that in place they may either know who does or be willing to help you set one up.

Lastly, I'm just repeating info I've taken in (hopefully accurately) from medical journal articles. I'm just an ordinary person, I'm not an epidemiologist or virologist or medical expert of any kind, so please do your own research as well. Make sure any info you accept as for-sure accurate is from peer reviewed medical studies published by credible scientific journals.