#n95 respirators

[pandemic-info]

Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review | Clinical Microbiology Reviews

Our synthesis of evidence from over 100 published reviews and selected primary studies, including re-analyzing contested meta-analyses of key clinical trials, produced seven key findings.

First, there is strong and consistent evidence for airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory pathogens.

Second, masks are, if correctly and consistently worn, effective in reducing transmission of respiratory diseases and show a dose-response effect.

Third, respirators are significantly more effective than medical or cloth masks.

Fourth, mask mandates are, overall, effective in reducing community transmission of respiratory pathogens.

Fifth, masks are important sociocultural symbols; non-adherence to masking is sometimes linked to political and ideological beliefs and to widely circulated mis- or disinformation.

Sixth, while there is much evidence that masks are not generally harmful to the general population, masking may be relatively contraindicated in individuals with certain medical conditions, who may require exemption. Furthermore, certain groups (notably D/deaf people) are disadvantaged when others are masked.

Finally, there are risks to the environment from single-use masks and respirators.

[feminist-space]

"Seminario cited the recent report, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” that shows that the number of respiratory illnesses in the private health care and social assistance sector increased from 145,300 in 2021 to 199,700 cases in 2022, an increase of 37.5 percent.

...

As an industrial hygienist, Seminario was extremely critical that there were no experts in respiratory protection on the committee nor did it include engineers who developed ventilation guidelines. She believes that the HICPAC committee members are likely so opposed to respirators “because once you are into recommending respiratory protection, with that comes a full respiratory protection program from OSHA,” with penalties for violations.

An epidemiologist and consultant, Michael Olesen, echoed this, believing the changes reflect “pressure to remove liability from hospitals.” He added, “I take a very clear position that we should be having respiratory protection mandates in all healthcare settings right now.”

...

Many patients who spoke at the HICPAC meetings said they had gotten Covid-19 when they went to the hospital and that the new policies were keeping them from getting care.

Given that, Dr. Art Caplan, professor of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, previously told me that dropping masking requirements in hospitals is “utterly, completely, irresponsible.” Similarly, staff refusing to mask, even when a patient requests it, is a moral failure. “The first principle is, you must do what is in the best interest of your patient,” he said.

...

Several people were asked why they believe HICPAC is determined to water down protections. Consistently, respondents say, “to reduce liability.” Earlier in the pandemic, hospitals regularly tested patients and staff for Covid-19, and you could often tell where and how you became infected. Since staff are no longer masking and continue working when ill, and patients are not being tested on admission, you can no longer prove who infected you. Hospitals are the only ones who win in this scenario, absolving themselves of responsibility and liability."

[dionysiandragon]

wild that the first thing i get told when going in to a medical office is "you don't have to wear a mask"

as if I'm wearing a n95 respirator mask because "what if I have to" and not because I care about my health?

[willowreader]

Dame Sa  3.5%

@LongCovidHell

Sheep? Those who wear a mask are the total opposite! Despite mounting peer pressure, constant propaganda in the press, and government lies, we STILL stand up against forced mass infection of a SARS virus. Wearing a mask is an act of rebellion, not submission.

From Twitter (X) The only thing that is wrong with the picture is the man should be wearing a respirator (N95).

[pokabrows]

If you can afford it now might be a good time to stock up on N95 respirators or invest in an elastomeric reusable respirator that you won't have to replace the filters in as often.

N5H1 (bird flu) has been transmitted to humans a bunch of times independently, most recently in Texas. So far it seems like the death rate is close to 50% so it's pretty scary. The concern is if human to human transmission starts. It will likely be worse than covid at least in the acute stage. Also like measles and tuberculosis have been popping up more recently.

So basically start getting prepared before people start panic buying. If demand ramps up more slowly and people start buying supplies early there will be more supplies for everyone. Plus you and your family will be better equipped. The preppers on reddit are already starting to prepare.

[doomer-diva]

Respirator Crusaders unite!!!

[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.

[ryanthedemiboy]

Mold will grow in your lungs. You often can't see mold before it can get into your lungs. Wear a respirator.

kids these days don’t know how lethal stagnant water is

[pandemic-info]

Re: Ask:

Your blog is one of the reasons I came back to Tumblr. Thanks for maintaining it! Would you mind posting reliable sources that you find on H5N1 , please? Don’t want to panic yet, but now that they found human-to-human transmission, should we?

Hey, thanks!

I just post as I organically see info, or seek it out as-needed, or what I learn in the course of my work — while trying not to be more focused on this than necessary. I'm glad it's useful for others, though there may be temporal and knowledge gaps. Like this one: I don't know as much about H5N1.

The latest I've seen are the articles about this case: US confirms first case of bird flu with no known animal exposure (bbc.com)

Yale News generally has solid info: H5N1 Bird Flu: What You Need to Know > News > Yale Medicine

If you already take layered precautions, you should be OK.

One question I personally had was whether H5N1 viruses (80-120 nm in diameter) are too small to be caught by N95 masks (which have a filtration efficiency of at least 95% for NaCl particles 100–300 nm in size.) USA Today actually has a nice Fact Check article about how masks work — in regards to COVID, but more broadly applicable and interesting:

TL;DR: yes N95s are also effective against viruses smaller than 300 nm.

Excerpts + more:

The size-based argument against N95 laid out in this claim assumes mask filtering works something like water flowing through a net — particles in the water smaller than the net opening pass through, while larger items don’t. But the physics involved don’t work like that at all. The COVID-19 particle is indeed around 0.1 microns in size, but it is always bonded to something larger. “There is never a naked virus floating in the air or released by people,” said Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who specializes in airborne transmission of viruses. The virus attaches to water droplets or aerosols (i.e. really small droplets) that are generated by breathing, talking, coughing, etc. These consist of water, mucus protein and other biological material and are all larger than 1 micron. “Breathing and talking generate particles around 1 micron in size, which will be collected by N95 respirator filters with very high efficiency,” said Lisa Brosseau, a retired professor of environmental and occupational health sciences who spent her career researching respiratory protection. ... The N95 filter indeed is physically around the 0.3 micron size. But that doesn’t mean it can only stop particles larger than that. The masks are actually best for particles either larger or smaller than that 0.3 micron threshold. “N95 have the worst filtration efficiency for particles around 0.3,” Marr said. “If you’re smaller than that those are actually collected even better. It’s counterintuitive because masks do not work like sieving out larger particles. It’s not like pasta in a colander, and small ones don’t get through.” N95 masks actually have that name because they are 95% efficient at stopping particles in their least efficient particle size range — in this case those around 0.3 microns. Why do they work better for smaller ones? There are a number of factors at play, but here are two main ones noted by experts: The first is something called “Brownian motion,” the name given to a physical phenomenon in which particles smaller than 0.3 microns move in an erratic, zig-zagging kind of motion. This motion greatly increases the chance they will be snared by the mask fibers. Secondly, the N95 mask itself uses electrostatic absorption, meaning particles are drawn to the fiber and trapped, instead of just passing through.

Only one qualm about that article: it's from 2020 and at the time, based on faulty older science, it was thought that droplets were the big concern and that "there’s not a lot of evidence for aerosol spread" — we've now known for years that this is false: "SARS-CoV-2 primarily spreads through airborne transmission, which is mainly characterized by droplets and aerosols."

It's interesting that they quoted Linsey Marr in that Fact Check because: The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill | WIRED

And H5N1? I'm honestly uncertain, but found this: Aerosolized Exposure to H5N1 Influenza Virus Causes Less Severe Disease Than Infection via Combined Intrabronchial, Oral, and Nasal Inoculation in Cynomolgus Macaques - PMC (nih.gov)

[willowreader]

There are some good recommendations for masks in this article. There are many mask wearers who have protected themselves from not getting COVID even once. Masks work!

[astrid-goes-for-a-spin]

If this post crosses your dash and you’re still masking, thank you.

If you’re not, it’s never too late to start. Do some research and order some N95s. And if that’s not affordable, check if your community has any mask-focused mutual aid efforts. Even if it doesn’t, there are numerous people on twitter who mail respirators to requesters all over the world!

does anyone else think it’s crazy how we just casually reference “the pandemic” now. i catch someone in conversation saying “during the first quarantine…” and as comfortable as it feels to hear and say now, there’s still a twinge of like…. i cannot believe we’re using these words in real life in reference to real events. this isn’t a scifi movie this isn’t a young adult post apocalyptic novel we’re literally casually discussing a global pandemic that ravaged the entire world and it was REAL ?

[tumble-tv]

ICE raids are happening.

Any immigrants, no matter how long you have been a citizen of the USA, is at risk of being deported either out of the country as a whole or into what are basically concentration camps. Raids starting in Chicago, Illinois. and spreading to other major cities with high POC and Hispanic populations. The US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have started raiding homes and families in California.

There are no "protected locations" as of January 21, 2025. Hospitals, schools, and churches are all at risk of being raided, where before these places were deemed safe and off limits to raids.

When it comes to spotting an ICE agent, look for these:

Weirdly neat/well kept hair (shaved heads, side parts, military burs for men; low buns, high ponytails, close cropped bobs for women)

Oversized jacket (long and bulky outerwear makes it easier to hide tools/equipment without being suspicious)

Both hands in pockets

Many undercover agents/cops buy cheap plain clothes off the racks so they aren’t seen in their own clothes. This can make their outfit seem awkward

Sweatshirts with the hood up

Sports apparel (warm up jacket, sweats, etc) with non-sports clothes (jeans, cargo shorts)

Cargo pants/shorts (usually full of items like their badge, flashlight, taser, pepper spray, backup handcuffs, zip ties)

Military or hiking style boots, sometimes chunky sneakers (extra points if none of it matches anything in their outfit)

Outline of a gun in their pants/shirt (easy to see when bending, leaning, or raising arms) (NO NOT SAY ANYTHING)

Overly friendly

Overly inquisitive

“How old are you” and “what do you know about this happening” are both red flags, along with generally odd and personal questions

Don’t fit in

Mismatched pairs in public spaces (usually cops do these things in pairs. They don’t talk to each other or acknowledge each other much, if at all)

DO NOT SAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU ARE 100% SURE

YOUR BEST BET IS NOT TO SAY ANYTHING UNTIL THE SUSPECT STARTS ACTING OFF AND GETTING PUSHY

COPS ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE UNDERCOVER

COPS CAN AND WILL LIE TO YOU

SCREAM “LA MIGRA” AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS

For protesting:

N95 masks

Respirator/gas mask if you have access to one

Water water water water water (I hate to say it, but disposable one use bottles are best here. If it comes to it, you need to be able to drop and run.) Use for flushing wounds, flushing eyes of tear gas, and of course drinking.

Snacks! You'll be doing a lot of walking and/or running and need to keep that energy up. Trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, crackers, jerky/meat sticks, fruit snacks, candy, etc. Think of it like packing your lunchbox for a field trip.

Eyedrops (teargas is a bitch)

Goggles (I bring my old snowboarding goggles)

If you are wearing a t-shirt or have exposed skin, put on fake/temporary tattoos. If you are brought into something and they say you were there, showing a picture of you with the tattoos, show them where that tattoo would be and how there’s nothing there. How would you get rid of a giant flower on your forearm in 2 days anyways?

Wigs fall under the same category as tattoos. The person they're claiming to be you has a blonde bob and you have green hair past your shoulders.It also makes it possible to go with a completely different color without the use of hair dye. This means if they try to arrest you later and try to prove it was you by taking your hair and testing for dye, it won't come back the way they hope. (Thank you @violetrosepetals for this addition!)

Hide your hair. I tuck my hair into my beanie since it’s short. If you have longer hair, try to do the same or tuck it into your shirt. Balaclavas are also a good choice, as they cover both your face and hair.

Power bank

Chargers

Helmet. Any is fine, my personal choice is a skating helmet since they’re rounder and can take more damage, but tactical is also good

Hand sanitizer

Gloves with hard knuckles (tactical gloves). These pack a good punch even if you don't have the correct form. Don't have those? Wrist guards for roller skating/skateboarding work kinda like that too. More of a slapping motion, but still hurt like a bitch. Extra points if they're all scuffed up from use and falls.

Bandanas. Somebody might need one for their face or hair, maybe you need to get dirt off somebody’s face, maybe somebody got injured. They’re great for anything and everything.

Cash (try to stick to cash, your card can be tracked)

Medications if you take them. If you get arrested or happen to somehow be away for longer than expected after the protest, it’s always good to have emergency meds

FIRST AID ALL THE FIRST AID (Tourniquet, Quikclot, chest seal, trauma shears, gauze, bandages, duct tape, and all the usual stuff you’d have in there)

Good shoes. Boots and sneakers are your best choices. Not heels, not platforms, not sandals. Good boots or shoes that won't come off your feet too easily when you run. Steel toed shoes are a great option. Your toes won't be squashed, but also it'll hurt someone a lot more if you start kicking.

Spare socks. Trust me. You can use them to stop bleeding if it comes to it, but also you can put rocks in there and boom weapon. Also if the socks you're wearing get wet.

As much covering clothing as you can handle. Plain jeans, plain hoodie, plain t-shirt, keep yourself as anonymous as possible. Black and baggy is best.

Photocopy of your ID, not your real one.

Sunscreen!

Make sure your clothes have pockets, even if you have a bag. You want everything to be easily accessible.

Do not wear contact lenses. If tear gas is used, that will make everything so much worse. Wear your glasses or go blind. If you have overly unique or identifiable frames, goggles are your friend here. Get some goggles that will fit over your frames, preferably ones that are tinted.

If you use mobility aids, cover defining features. Logos, brand names, colors, stickers, all of it. Take some old plain t-shirt and tie it around your wheelchair’s backrest. Wrap your wheelchair frame in cling wrap, then duct tape, or plain black self adhering medical tape. Cover stickers on your cane or crutches the same way. Electric chair? You have a little more work, but you can do it. Wrap it up. Same idea. Walker? Same thing. Cover. It. All.

If you are bringing a bag, make sure that bag is as plain as possible. No pins. No patches. No keychains. Except maybe a pride flag so people know which team you're playing on.

Scarf or keffiyeh if you have one. They have many uses!

Write a reliable phone number (of someone who is not at the protest with you) on your body. On the off chance you get arrested, that is your emergency contact.

Pocket knife.

Pepper spray/mace/bear spray

if you get tear gassed, shake around first before using water. Most tear gas is more of a powder and water has a high likelihood of just spreading it around. (Thank you @actually-a-bread-loaf for this addition!)

Tennis rackets also work wonderfully for chucking tear gas canisters back at those throwing them. Anybody asks, you're going out to play tennis with friends later. Baseball bats also work! (Thank you @azul-nova-24 for this addition!)

Anything you can throw. Soup for my family.

IF YOU CAN, LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME

IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT WITH YOU, TURN OFF LOCATION SERVICES ON ALL APPS AND TURN OFF BIOMETRICS (FACE ID AND FINGERPRINT) SO YOU CAN ONLY UNLOCK YOUR PHONE WITH YOUR PASSWORD

COPS CAN FORCE YOU TO OPEN YOUR PHONE WITH YOUR FINGERPRINT OR FACE ID

MAKE SURE SOMEBODY KNOWS GENERALLY WHERE YOU ARE

If you see a potential or active raid, take pictures and note the time and location. Post online if you can, as well.

You have the right to remain silent. State that you wish to remain silent. Avoid giving information about anybody's immigration status. You have the right to refuse to sign anything before speaking to an attorney. You have the right to refuse searches of your car, your home, and yourself. Schools do not collect a child's immigration status.

I do not want to scare anybody, but this is what life is right now. That man does not care how long you have been a citizen of this country. If you are not a white, cisgender, heterosexual, Christian male, you are seen as less than by men in power. You are not less than. You are a threat to them, and they are scared. Keep it that way.

Even if you're not currently protesting, it's good to know this just in case. Things are happening very quickly, and there is a very high chance of it changing very quickly within the next four years.

Here's the link to my post on what to bring in terms of first aid.

If you cannot attend protests, that’s fine. Do what’s best for you. Even just reposting information helps.

This is an updated version of this post,

Updated January 27, 2025.

[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."

[pandemic-info]

(via (2) Ever Bloom 💉💉💉💉😷 on Twitter: "@FitTestMyPlanet @safe_breathe Do you mind saying if you’ve an idea why the black BNX trifolds perform comparatively poorly? They’re the only N95s my teens will wear - and don’t seem to perform at all well compared to, for example, the 3M Auras? Perhaps lack of foam nose piece prevents good seal? Thx 🙏🏼" / Twitter)

Various N95s fit-tested + helpful answers in thread.

E.g. Which work best for small faces?

For N95’s, the highest harmonic mean fit factors that @dachshundDsh (NIOSH face panel size #3) got was Aura9210+ for N95’s. (Same mask that set the N95 record on the large head too.) Same story for FFP3’s. @dachshundDsh set records on Drager1930small, and the panel 8 size large head also set records on the Drager1930small. She prefers the Aura 1863+ though since the Drager1930 looks scary.