#n95 face masks

[willowreader]

The very first time I forgot to wear one while visiting with someone indoors I got Covid. A good well fitting N95 works well. I wear one in indoor public places and at home when visitors come. I have only been sick once since the summer of 2020. It happened in 2024 when I answered the door with no mask and got Covid from an asymptomatic person who had been on a plane unmasked. H5N1 is spread just like Covid. It has been found in wastewater in many places especially in the US. We need to protect ourselves. Respirators like N95's good ventilation, and vaccines all work. The science has proven it again and again.

[jenroses]

Hey! Please feel free to ignore but you did say to ask you about masks :P the ones I've found that are multiple layers for max protection are really stiff, which squishes my face and leads to gaps. Do you have recommendations? Thanks!

I know that there's a lot of noise about elastomeric masks but for me they're a nonstarter because of the stiffness you talk about. I think it's important to understand that most of the 94-95 standard masks that actually meet that standard are going to be plenty good enough where most people are concerned. Is it possible to catch Covid with a mask on? Yes. I've done it.

Is it likely? No. I'm immune compromised. This isn't data, but our experience has been that a combination of masks, reasonable common sense and good filtration are enough that despite having a school-aged child, a husband who travels for conventions, and me, immune suppressed, with a college student living in our house, I have only had covid twice, the first time was an unfortunate collision of me going to a store at the wrong time where a clerk had both covid and the flu and gave them to me, and the other one involved a family member not using a mask at a public event while eating. Even then, when I caught covid and the flu at the same time and isolated immediately with filtration and everyone coming into my space being masked... not one other person in our house caught it, and when someone else caught it a year later, the only people who caught it were sharing sleeping spaces. Our roommates did not catch it, and everyone was masking from the moment of the first positive test. When my kid got half-assed about masking at school, he immediately got flu and strep at the same time. I pointed out that his lack of care about it could mean a lot of missed school for him and serious health impacts for both of us, and he started wearing a mask again, and did not get sick for the rest of the school year. He HATES the masks that go behind the head and wears Armbrust kn95 masks exclusively (dark blue, lol) And it's pretty clear that without the masks he was getting sick a lot and with he just...doesn't. He is wearing them all day except for lunch through full school days, so that says something. Armbrust will send little behind the head doohickies to keep them off the ears but he never uses them. At $2ish per mask they're not the cheapest but he uses one mask for multiple days so it's not too bad overall cost wise. They have kid sizing, but he's in the regular adult size now at 11. Now, I'll talk about Armbrust for a minute because I really like the company. On pretty much every mask they sell you'll see a video of one of their people reviewing the mask and going over testing data... but they ALSO have reviews of almost every other mask on the market, bad, good and in between, and if you find a mask on Amazon or something and want to know more about it, search the mask name and "armbrust" and the youtube video and product data page will pop up. I've found several special masks for very particular needs by looking through their database for combinations of breathability and shape that weren't even masks they sold. So if you are struggling, take a look at the database, eliminate "failed" masks, look for the ones that meet your needs and then watch the video to see what he says about them first. There are some VERY inexpensive masks out there that work very well, and some masks that are incredibly breathable or incredibly high filtration and a few unicorns that are both.

Now Hubby is okay with the same KN95 masks that our son likes but he exercises and his lungs get a little touchy sometimes so he needs maximum ease in breathing, so using that database I found Dr. Puri masks. Here's the Armbrust review. Here's the listing I found them on. Hubby LOVES them. He also prefers behind the ear. About $1.50 each.

I *hate* behind the ear with a hot hate, they bug me. But I can't just use one type of mask all the time because I have EDS and neck issues so pressure there can be awkward, plus I get short of breath sometimes anyway (history of pulmonary embolism that long predates covid) and I have sensory skin issues.

Bar none the most breathable mask I've ever tried, which also does not fog my glasses, is the Drager mask. These are soft, extraordinarily easy to breathe through, and have a unique strap that makes on/off very easy, and lets you pull the top strap and let it hang around your neck if needed. Unfortunately it has a VERY snug fit across the nose and leaves marks on my cheeks, or it would be perfect, but it's a good option, and possibly someone with a smaller face would have an easier time. These are possibly the best filtering and most breathable masks on the market, so for high risk situations this is the mask I would use. They filter 99.7% in testing. They're a little more expensive at about $1.25 per when I checked today. For a good intersection of fit and comfort, but a little less breathable, are the ACI N95 surgical respirator duckbills. These do not leave marks, don't fog much, good seal around the face, and the single most comfortable head strap I've ever seen. The fabric is very smooth, it is sensory good, but the breathability is not as high. It's not hard to breathe through, it's just not as easy as Drager or Dr. Puri. But... They could probably pass an N99 standard by Armbrust's testing, as they filter >99.4% of particulate, where the standard is 95%. These are also incredibly cheap. If you get their subscribe and save discount (you can do every 6 months) you can get 50 for $25, so 50 cents apiece.

All of these masks are pretty soft, easy to wear, and very good at what they do.

The TL:DR though.... The important thing is to find a mask that you will wear consistently and correctly every time you need it. A mask that hangs on your face and slips is not a good mask for you. A mask you hate so much you make excuses not to wear it is not a good mask for you. A mask that breaks easily or makes it hard to breathe so you end up taking it off is not a good mask. If what you have isn't working, there are LOTS of things that might.

Last Armbrust plug: THEY HAVE A SAMPLER PACK. You can buy a pack of a zillion different types and styles of mask and try a bunch! And order the one you like best! If you aren't sick, one sampler pack can be tried by the people in your household so everyone can figure out what works for them!

Also, I used to get sick very very often and now I just...don't. Not from contagious viruses, anyway. I don't understand why people are so cavalier about it. I've been sick less since 2020 than in any given six month period in my entire life. Despite being on immune suppressants.

[pandemic-info]

Not a paid ad (I wish, see cons). Just want to tell you about Champak N95s because I love them and hope they will continue to be available. (Other favs mentioned: 3M Aura 9210+ N95, Bluna Face Fit KF94, Breatheteq KN95 small)

PROS:

NIOSH N95 With good fit-test results. E.g.: https://youtu.be/iIOumUsvUfs?si=L46SfoZlgvNpewWd&t=289

Comfortable & breathable AF Even vs Breatheteq. The straps are a soft, microfiber-y material that doesn't hurt, doesn't dig into your ears over time, and doesn't get caught in hair. They're also adjustable with the plastic bit.

Easy, fast don/doff The sliding straps make it so easy and fast, similar to ear loops.

Fits small heads! Most masks are way too big or leak in various places. 3M Auras are the best fit for me (narrow & small face, tall nose bridge). The Medium Champak (PC520M) fits just as well as Aura and, due to its shape, the seal around the face even feels better. The thick nose pad is also great, no leakage. They also have a large size!

CONS:

Expensive (relatively) A friend recommended these and kindly shared one to try. I held off buying my own for a long time because they're kind of expensive: $45 after shipping for 15 masks = $3/mask. Compared to a 20-pack of 3M Aura 9210+ for $30. But after using my own for a few months, with all of the PROS above, it's the only mask I like to use anymore. (I still opt for 3M Aura 9210+ in unsafely-crowded situations just because I feel more comfortable with one that's tried, tested, and proven its efficacy for me multiple times.) We bought from PurCel Labs, good experiences: https://client.purcellabs.com/n95-masks/Champak-NIOSH-N95-Face-Masks-PC520M

White I get why 3M et. al. don't make N95s in black, but we can still wish. This is pretty much the only plus that black Bluna Face Fit or Breatheteq have over these (and their tri-fold shape is a little nicer). But N95s almost always win out over KF94 ear loops in fit-testing.

[mariska]

spent the afternoon/evening yesterday editing a bunch of self-portrait pics of myself just for fun as something to pass the time along cus i was incredibly bored so. here are some pics of what i've looked like this year sometimes from like the end of May until recently at the end of August. Office Siren That Works At Retro Clown HQ look is one of my personal fav outfits i put together so far lol, that was a few days after my birthday back in May and the dress fabric pattern is meant to be a bunch of little balloons which is why i wore it out that day 🎪🎈✨

[inter-volve]

Source

January 3rd 2024

[heyitslapis]

i really want a face mask (for masking in public) that says "Muzzled for your safety" or some shit like that

[cameoappearance]

Told you I'd do it

Ska music provided by DJ Useful Crab

[halalgirlmeg]

I'm so happy to see people with KF94s on, finally we're getting on the train. And they got new colors too, KF94 folks stand up!

[willowreader]

When you see someone with a mask on, instead of staring or commenting, maybe read this story and then come to the realization that masking can save someone's life.

[rootbeerqueer]

anyone else have sensory issues with wearing face masks? i’ve been dealing with this since the pandemic started. the pressure against the backs of my ears was giving me bad headaches & so i started using those ear savers but that just makes it really tight against my nose & it HURTS & ik i’m supposed to mask to keep myself & other people safe but i feel like i can’t go more than a couple hours at best with one of those on & then i feel sick after so at this point idk what to do

[inter-volve]

Feb 20th 2021

Source

[roseverdict]

a while back, i was one of those volunteers at one of those relief things. and i'm just gonna be crystal-clear with yall: the group i went with was comprised mainly of young adults, and the only people we helped were people who were avidly willing to talk religion with us. one of them also happened to nearly send me down a phrenology rabbit hole before i had a moment "of wait. what???"

which means, if my admittedly-miniscule sample size of "my experience + these testimonials from people who needed help and got treated like shit" means anything, they sent the people most likely to offer aid to "undesirables" someplace they could get morals and ideals hammered into them, all the while pulling this shit with people who didn't fall in line.

we didn't even have massive breakfasts or hotel rooms or anything expensive like that, if i remember right. we got to sleep over at a local church with a few other groups and have granola bars. anything that our group had outside of that via groceries and/or fast food was paid for by our group directly.

so if the salvation army is charging the locals for room and board and food, i'd even wager that they're double-dipping a little bit. a lil "have your cake and eat it too" action. because the salvation army might be keeping track of who's come from where to do what, but there's nowhere near enough SA money being spent to warrant a bill, and especially not a bill for the people who would've just survived some variety of disaster.

DO NOT SUPPORT SALVATION ARMY 

[marvelsmostwanted]

There are people – some in my own Party – who think that if you just give Donald Trump everything he wants, he’ll make an exception and spare you some of the harm. I’ll ignore the moral abdication of that position for just a second to say — almost none of those people have the experience with this President that I do. I once swallowed my pride to offer him what he values most — public praise on the Sunday news shows — in return for ventilators and N95 masks during the worst of the pandemic. We made a deal. And it turns out his promises were as broken as the BIPAP machines he sent us instead of ventilators. Going along to get along does not work – just ask the Trump-fearing red state Governors who are dealing with the same cuts that we are. I won’t be fooled twice.

I’ve been reflecting, these past four weeks, on two important parts of my life: my work helping to build the Illinois Holocaust Museum and the two times I’ve had the privilege of reciting the oath of office for Illinois Governor.

As some of you know, Skokie, Illinois once had one of the largest populations of Holocaust survivors anywhere in the world. In 1978, Nazis decided they wanted to march there.

The leaders of that march knew that the images of Swastika clad young men goose stepping down a peaceful suburban street would terrorize the local Jewish population – so many of whom had never recovered from their time in German concentration camps.

The prospect of that march sparked a legal fight that went all the way to the Supreme Court. It was a Jewish lawyer from the ACLU who argued the case for the Nazis – contending that even the most hateful of speech was protected under the first amendment.

As an American and a Jew, I find it difficult to resolve my feelings around that Supreme Court case – but I am grateful that the prospect of Nazis marching in their streets spurred the survivors and other Skokie residents to act. They joined together to form the Holocaust Memorial Foundation and built the first Illinois Holocaust Museum in a storefront in 1981 – a small but important forerunner to the one I helped build thirty years later.

I do not invoke the specter of Nazis lightly. But I know the history intimately — and have spent more time than probably anyone in this room with people who survived the Holocaust. Here’s what I’ve learned – the root that tears apart your house’s foundation begins as a seed – a seed of distrust and hate and blame.

The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe a lifetime ago didn’t arrive overnight. It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame.

I’m watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now. A president who watches a plane go down in the Potomac – and suggests — without facts or findings — that a diversity hire is responsible for the crash. Or the Missouri Attorney General who just sued Starbucks – arguing that consumers pay higher prices for their coffee because the baristas are too “female” and “nonwhite.” The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems.

I just have one question: What comes next? After we’ve discriminated against, deported or disparaged all the immigrants and the gay and lesbian and transgender people, the developmentally disabled, the women and the minorities – once we’ve ostracized our neighbors and betrayed our friends – After that, when the problems we started with are still there staring us in the face – what comes next.

All the atrocities of human history lurk in the answer to that question. And if we don’t want to repeat history – then for God’s sake in this moment we better be strong enough to learn from it.

I swore the following oath on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the state of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Governor .... according to the best of my ability.

My oath is to the Constitution of our state and of our country. We don’t have kings in America – and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one. I am not speaking up in service to my ambitions — but in deference to my obligations.

If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this:

It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic. All I’m saying is when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.

Those Illinois Nazis did end up holding their march in 1978 – just not in Skokie. After all the blowback from the case, they decided to march in Chicago instead. Only twenty of them showed up. But 2000 people came to counter protest. The Chicago Tribune reported that day that the “rally sputtered to an unspectacular end after ten minutes.” It was Illinoisans who smothered those embers before they could burn into a flame.

Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the “tragic spirit of despair” overcome us when our country needs us the most.

Sources:

• NBC Chicago & J.B. Pritzker, Democratic governor of Illinois, State of the State address 2025: Watch speech here | Full text

• Betches News on Instagram (screencaps)

[strawberry-cow-sorceress]

adding mine to the list 🤭

😷😷😷

[willowreader]

This zine is a great resource to hand out to young people..