• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Lucky me? I found 2 N95 masks in my house

JacksinPA

JacksinPA

Supporting Member
DP Veteran
Monthly Donator
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
26,290
Reaction score
16,776
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Progressive
I bought 2 N95 masks several years ago. I had one in my car & my wife found the second one in its original plastic bubble packaging in a cabinet in the laundry room. This is the mask that is in such great demand today. Whether they work or not, they are better than nothing. I insisted that my wife wear one when she went grocery shopping the other day. She had problems keeping the mask in place, but she hasn't started coughing or complaining of a fever yet.
 
JacksinPA said:
I bought 2 N95 masks several years ago. I had one in my car & my wife found the second one in its original plastic bubble packaging in a cabinet in the laundry room. This is the mask that is in such great demand today. Whether they work or not, they are better than nothing. I insisted that my wife wear one when she went grocery shopping the other day. She had problems keeping the mask in place, but she hasn't started coughing or complaining of a fever yet.
Click to expand...

For goodness sakes, you do not need to wear an N95 mask to go-to grocery store. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Donate it to your hospital. You can save lives.
 
Bucky said:
For goodness sakes, you do not need to wear an N95 mask to go-to grocery store. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Donate it to your hospital. You can save lives.
Click to expand...



That was my thought when I read the OP.

And it not fitting her; it means she's touching her face when she adjusts it. It makes it much more likely she'll infect herself.
 
JacksinPA said:
I bought 2 N95 masks several years ago. I had one in my car & my wife found the second one in its original plastic bubble packaging in a cabinet in the laundry room. This is the mask that is in such great demand today. Whether they work or not, they are better than nothing. I insisted that my wife wear one when she went grocery shopping the other day. She had problems keeping the mask in place, but she hasn't started coughing or complaining of a fever yet.
Click to expand...

The 3M HEPA masks that I have fit really well, the have a shield that you're supposed to unfold and tuck under your chin. I've had these masks in my storage room for years. I never imagined I'd be using them to protect from dying from a global pandemic. The important thing is to make sure there's a good seal, and tell your wife not to fidget with it, that's only contaminating the mask and her face with her hands.

maxresdefault.webp
 
JacksinPA said:
I bought 2 N95 masks several years ago. I had one in my car & my wife found the second one in its original plastic bubble packaging in a cabinet in the laundry room. This is the mask that is in such great demand today. Whether they work or not, they are better than nothing. I insisted that my wife wear one when she went grocery shopping the other day. She had problems keeping the mask in place, but she hasn't started coughing or complaining of a fever yet.
Click to expand...

Just be careful how you handle the masks to avoid cross contamination. Make sure to wash your hands before donning and doffing, and don't touch in between.
YouTube
 
HumblePi said:
The 3M HEPA masks that I have fit really well, the have a shield that you're supposed to unfold and tuck under your chin. I've had these masks in my storage room for years. I never imagined I'd be using them to protect from dying from a global pandemic. The important thing is to make sure there's a good seal, and tell your wife not to fidget with it, that's only contaminating the mask and her face with her hands.

View attachment 67277093
Click to expand...

Lol, didn't see this before I posted.
 
Bucky said:
For goodness sakes, you do not need to wear an N95 mask to go-to grocery store. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Donate it to your hospital. You can save lives.
Click to expand...

It is not for JacksinPA's wife's sake, Bucky. It would be to keep her from infecting other people if she has the virus and is not yet symptomatic to prevent her from breathing it onto others. I wear one of my old N95s when I go out to keep from breathing onto others and to prevent me from unconsciously touching my nose and face and then wiping my hands onto other surfaces.

The more people who wear these when they go out into public, the lower the rate of spread of the virus. Ideally, everyone should wear a mask or some kind of face covering and gloves...not to prevent getting the virus, but rather to prevent giving the virus.
 
JacksinPA said:
I bought 2 N95 masks several years ago. I had one in my car & my wife found the second one in its original plastic bubble packaging in a cabinet in the laundry room. This is the mask that is in such great demand today. Whether they work or not, they are better than nothing. I insisted that my wife wear one when she went grocery shopping the other day. She had problems keeping the mask in place, but she hasn't started coughing or complaining of a fever yet.
Click to expand...

There now is a small outside chance you and her may live - until you run out of masks.

But remember, every time you breathe you are pulling covid-19 onto the surface of the mask if its in the air. It is MUCH smaller than the filter size of a N95, which actually is just a dust mask. A true bio-mask is VERY expensive with disposable cartridges and you're not going to find them anywhere - plus you sound like Darth Vadar - and that doesn't protect your eyes - more a contamination point than mouth or nose.

Simply, N95 and other masks are not reusable - and if you do too long, they could become a greater risk than not having it as breathing in is collecting it if in the air - and infection AND HOW SERIOUS has a lot to do with how much of the virus gets into your body. The more there is to start with, the more there is to multiple - less means less growth - and it spread out longer across time allowing your body more time to deal with it, plus you won't get hammered so hard.

So, a friendly tip, use the N95 ONLY when you think you really need it - and understand everytime you reuse it the value of it declines and even can become the greater danger than not wearing it at all.
 
Bucky said:
For goodness sakes, you do not need to wear an N95 mask to go-to grocery store. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Donate it to your hospital. You can save lives.
Click to expand...

There's really no scientific evidence that surgical masks (if you can even get one) are effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The N95 respirator mask has been tested and is the only option that can ensure protection for COVID-19. If we knew who had COVID-19 in the supermarket it would be easy just to stay far away from those people. But we now know that the virus doesn't present symptoms for a while with some people after they've become affected. They can carry it, spread it to multiple people and never be aware they have it.
 
Felis Leo said:
It is not for JacksinPA's wife's sake, Bucky. It would be to keep her from infecting other people if she has the virus and is not yet symptomatic to prevent her from breathing it onto others. I wear one of my old N95s when I go out to keep from breathing onto others and to prevent me from unconsciously touching my nose and face and then wiping my hands onto other surfaces.

The more people who wear these when they go out into public, the lower the rate of spread of the virus. Ideally, everyone should wear a mask or some kind of face covering and gloves...not to prevent getting the virus, but rather to prevent giving the virus.
Click to expand...

Absolutely! A mask is to protect others as well and people aren't understanding that. I may have already had coronavirus, so I wear a mask to prevent myself infecting others and if I haven't already had it, I want to protect myself as well. Keeping your hands away from your face, frequent hand washing and social distancing. I said weeks ago that I wish the federal government would have mailed every person in this country a N95 mask weeks ago. If we all put one on three weeks ago the numbers of people that have tested positive would be vastly lower.
 
While I have no formal title/degree in this all, we sell products that do and have a very long time, interacting with others who do have such recognized expertise in the industry - and for our government classification we have binders that together are about 10 to 12 feet wide (no invoices) that are safety rules, regulations, and safety protocols - many they require be uniquely written for the facility and certain personnel - particularly me as I am the registered officer for most such topics for chemical and bio-hazards.

Unless you are wearing a full Class A full bio-suit that is then washed down a solution of one kind or another, you are at risk. The question is only reducing the risk, not eliminating it with N95s and ordinary googles. Plus routinely replacing the cartridges unless on an air tank. BUT a full bio-hazard suit is completely miserable to wear, extremely hold, and your feet will fairly quickly be continuously drenched in own sweat and overall covered in sweat. They're miserable. Very. We don't use them and are not required to. We have them just-in-case some containment issue were to arise (we do not have such substances anymore).

We had an employee briefly whose father was a salesman for a company that sold such great and according to his father our equipment wasn't good enough and his son should wear a full suit and the correct one. So, for grins, we bought 2 his father's company sold. We held our smiling as his suit filled with sweat on July in non-air conditioned warehouse except for some big swamp coolers and a lot of fans. Finally, I told, "you don't have too, but you do have permission to take that off so you don't die."

He didn't last long. We don't hire parents.
 
HumblePi said:
There's really no scientific evidence that surgical masks (if you can even get one) are effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The N95 respirator mask has been tested and is the only option that can ensure protection for COVID-19. If we knew who had COVID-19 in the supermarket it would be easy just to stay far away from those people. But we now know that the virus doesn't present symptoms for a while with some people after they've become affected. They can carry it, spread it to multiple people and never be aware they have it.
Click to expand...

An N95 is a dust mask. Nothing else. Virus are so small they can pass right thru it - not counting all the gaps. For you, good tight fitting googles make more sense. Eyes don't have to breathe and there are few natural defenses for the eyes. Less than nose and throat - or even lungs.

What protects you against covid-19 is not and N95. Not a painter's mask with replaceable cartridges. But a bio-harzard mask - with a full fitted face shield.

An N95 does protect others a little by preventing droplets going so far if you cough. But may more endanger you because your body will try to cough out the virus - that is why you cough. With a mask, then you breathe that virus back in.

It is NOT just if the virus gets into your body - but how many? The more there are, the more there are to multiple. The faster then multiple, the harder it is going to hit you and the less lead up time you immunity system (the ONLY thing that can save you as there is cure) to deal with it.

So an N95 does protect others. But if you have covid-19 it increases the odds you will become far worse sick and more likely to die because you'll breath back in the virus you coughed into the inside of the mask.

Bet you'll never, ever hear a word on that. Our facility has 10 to 12 foot thick binders we had to assembly, mostly I did. None are anything like invoice records. At least 50% are custom pages done by me, for which I had - each a seperate topic - and to address every imaginable danger - from biological to chemical, fire to tornado, accidents of all kinds - stating exaclty what procedures the company has for this, who is the officer in charge of it (generally I am named) etc.

Protect your eyes. If you think you may have covid-19, an N95 protects others. It can greatly endanger you.

PEOPLE COUGH because their body is trying get rid of something in the lungs. Thus, with colds and flus, people cough a lot. NEVER take a cough suppressant for the flu - or this. Cough as much as you can handle, even making yourself cough. Every cough reduced the number of virus that are in and then multiply in you. That's why the sicker you are, the more you cough. Until just too exhausted and weak putting you to sleep. If you feel like you need to cough - ever - do it - same for sneezing. That's clear out your nose/nasal passage.

Over and over and over, I keep mention the MSM is lying. A lot. Constantly. If you have covid-19, wear a mask as little as possible - only to protect others. Wear googles to keep it from coming back into your eyes. Change bedding often - virus is on it. Shower a lot - hot and soap - wash the virus off you. Do everything any you breathed or coughed out coming back into your body.

It takes what - 12 seconds of thought - to understand the obvious of this message. Understand why your body forces you to cough and sneeze. NEVER resist it. NEVER try to suppress it.

OSHA forbids most masks worn - even if NOT required - by anyone with facial hair and that is not specifically fitted to the individual. If the job does require a mask, it doesn't. If the mask doesn't require a mask, but as a safeguard you wear one, then it MUST met the standard. No middle ground allowed. But government regulations usually are not particularly rational.
 
Last edited:
Wearing a mask just gives people the false sense of security. I am amused when I see people riding around with their car windows rolled up still wearing a mask.
 
joko104 said:
An N95 is a dust mask. Nothing else. Virus are so small they can pass right thru it - not counting all the gaps. For you, good tight fitting googles make more sense. Eyes don't have to breathe and there are few natural defenses for the eyes. Less than nose and throat - or even lungs.

What protects you against covid-19 is not and N95. Not a painter's mask with replaceable cartridges. But a bio-harzard mask - with a full fitted face shield.

An N95 does protect others a little by preventing droplets going so far if you cough. But may more endanger you because your body will try to cough out the virus - that is why you cough. With a mask, then you breathe that virus back in.

It is NOT just if the virus gets into your body - but how many? The more there are, the more there are to multiple. The faster then multiple, the harder it is going to hit you and the less lead up time you immunity system (the ONLY thing that can save you as there is cure) to deal with it.

So an N95 does protect others. But if you have covid-19 it increases the odds you will become far worse sick and more likely to die because you'll breath back in the virus you coughed into the inside of the mask.

Bet you'll never, ever hear a word on that. Our facility has 10 to 12 foot thick binders we had to assembly, mostly I did. None are anything like invoice records. At least 50% are custom pages done by me, for which I had - each a seperate topic - and to address every imaginable danger - from biological to chemical, fire to tornado, accidents of all kinds - stating exaclty what procedures the company has for this, who is the officer in charge of it (generally I am named) etc.

Protect your eyes. If you think you may have covid-19, an N95 protects others. It can greatly endanger you.

PEOPLE COUGH because their body is trying get rid of something in the lungs. Thus, with colds and flus, people cough a lot. NEVER take a cough suppressant for the flu - or this. Cough as much as you can handle, even making yourself cough. Every cough reduced the number of virus that are in and then multiply in you. That's why the sicker you are, the more you cough. Until just too exhausted and weak putting you to sleep. If you feel like you need to cough - ever - do it - same for sneezing. That's clear out your nose/nasal passage.

Over and over and over, I keep mention the MSM is lying. A lot. Constantly. If you have covid-19, wear a mask as little as possible - only to protect others. Wear googles to keep it from coming back into your eyes. Change bedding often - virus is on it. Shower a lot - hot and soap - wash the virus off you. Do everything any you breathed or coughed out coming back into your body.

It takes what - 12 seconds of thought - to understand the obvious of this message. Understand why your body forces you to cough and sneeze. NEVER resist it. NEVER try to suppress it.

OSHA forbids most masks worn - even if NOT required - by anyone with facial hair and that is not specifically fitted to the individual. If the job does require a mask, it doesn't. If the mask doesn't require a mask, but as a safeguard you wear one, then it MUST met the standard. No middle ground allowed. But government regulations usually are not particularly rational.
Click to expand...

Having managed an oxygen company with more than 200 oxygen and/or ventilator dependent patients, I believe I have more knowledge and experience with N95 respirators. It is absolutely not basically a 'dust mask'.

CDC - NIOSH - NPPTL Respirator Trusted-Source, Ancillary Respirator Information, Basic FAQs

A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face, covers at least the nose and mouth, and is used to reduce the wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles (including dust particles and infectious agents), gases, or vapors. Respirators are considered as a “last line of defense” in the occupational hierarchy of controls.

Wearing any mask reduces the transmission of this virus going either way.
 
Last edited:
HumblePi said:
Having managed an oxygen company with more than 200 oxygen and/or ventilator dependent patients, I believe I have more knowledge and experience with N95 respirators. It is absolutely not basically a 'dust mask'.

CDC - NIOSH - NPPTL Respirator Trusted-Source, Ancillary Respirator Information, Basic FAQs

A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face, covers at least the nose and mouth, and is used to reduce the wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles (including dust particles and infectious agents), gases, or vapors. Respirators are considered as a “last line of defense” in the occupational hierarchy of controls.

Wearing any mask reduces the transmission of this virus going either way.
Click to expand...

Yout link does not say why you claim it says. The N95 is the lowest rated of all, other than possibly cheap surgical masks.

Yes, an N95 protects others by trapping most droplets and reducing the range they travel. If used correctly, an N95 offers some protection to you. If you are infected, you certainly should do anything to limit spreading such droplets by any means - mask or any other mouth covering. If you are already infected, no mask protects you from virus, it endangers you by preventing or reducing the ability cough out the virus as you will then just breath it back in.

Even in your link, it comments the N95 offers little "oil" protection - the lowest of the 3 low rated masks mentions.This is due to the N95 is the most pourous. Virus are extremely small, why even the best painter's mask are not rated for bio-hazard usage. Bio-hazard masks are quite expensive and they were all sold out anywhere over a month ago because I checked for the company. We have a few and a couple full bio-hazard suits such as you see in the movie Contagion just because for a while we had too.

The N95 is at the very bottom of the list in terms of protection, the cheapest of all. They are not actually respirators as you state as you state, rather a common mistatement as your own link notes. Since it is commonly used, then it can be discusses recognizing what the actual topic is.
 
joko104 said:
Yout link does not say why you claim it says. The N95 is the lowest rated of all, other than possibly cheap surgical masks.

Yes, an N95 protects others by trapping most droplets and reducing the range they travel. If used correctly, an N95 offers some protection to you. If you are infected, you certainly should do anything to limit spreading such droplets by any means - mask or any other mouth covering. If you are already infected, no mask protects you from virus, it endangers you by preventing or reducing the ability cough out the virus as you will then just breath it back in.

Even in your link, it comments the N95 offers little "oil" protection - the lowest of the 3 low rated masks mentions.This is due to the N95 is the most pourous. Virus are extremely small, why even the best painter's mask are not rated for bio-hazard usage. Bio-hazard masks are quite expensive and they were all sold out anywhere over a month ago because I checked for the company. We have a few and a couple full bio-hazard suits such as you see in the movie Contagion just because for a while we had too.

The N95 is at the very bottom of the list in terms of protection, the cheapest of all. They are not actually respirators as you state as you state, rather a common mistatement as your own link notes. Since it is commonly used, then it can be discusses recognizing what the actual topic is.
Click to expand...

You showed your ignorance about this topic in your very first sentence. A surgical mask is just that, a mask that was worn during surgery so that blood can't spray onto the doctor's face. A respirator is an entirely different type of protection, it filters 95% of droplets that viruses cling to. There's nobody on this planet that would agree with you that an N95 particulate respirator is 'nothing more than a dust mask'.

I'm beginning to think that you're belaboring this topic only because you're angry that you can't get your hands on any of the N95 respirator masks.
 
HumblePi said:
You showed your ignorance about this topic in your very first sentence. A surgical mask is just that, a mask that was worn during surgery so that blood can't spray onto the doctor's face. A respirator is an entirely different type of protection, it filters 95% of droplets that viruses cling to. There's nobody on this planet that would agree with you that an N95 particulate respirator is 'nothing more than a dust mask'.

I'm beginning to think that you're belaboring this topic only because you're angry that you can't get your hands on any of the N95 respirator masks.
Click to expand...
HumblePi said:
You showed your ignorance about this topic in your very first sentence. A surgical mask is just that, a mask that was worn during surgery so that blood can't spray onto the doctor's face. A respirator is an entirely different type of protection, it filters 95% of droplets that viruses cling to. There's nobody on this planet that would agree with you that an N95 particulate respirator is 'nothing more than a dust mask'.


I'm beginning to think that you're belaboring this topic only because you're angry that you can't get your hands on any of the N95 respirator masks.
Click to expand...



Your messages are ignorant and I'm tired of the ignorance. We have over 1,000 N95s and a range of masks, shields and protection up to full bio-hazard and chemical full body suits, along with tank and remote hose "respirators." I am the registered safety officer in all regards with the Dept. Homeland Security, OSHA and DOT. I have been trained and government tested in this regards. I am truly tired of the incessant ignorance on any topic about N95. The company, facility, myself and 1 other person are registered and licensed to receive, store, process and ship any substance including bio-hazard and chemical - other than radioactive materials.


As an analogy to a car, the motor's engine filter is a "mask" for the motor. If it has a supercharger or turbocharger that provides positive air pressure to the motor it is a "ventilator." However, "ventilator" is so commonly used for masks, it is accepted terminology.


The N95 is the LOWEST grade mask. The worst, not the best.
The rating is based upon the size of particles that can pass thru it. Virus are extremely small. By comparison, it would be like trying to stop water flow by using screen door material. Depending how thick and many layers of screen door material there is, will determine how much is slows the water flow and the only water restricted would be water remaining on it by water tension. Thus there are many different levels of N95 - depending how thick the material is - and whether it has an exhale exhaust. The exhale exhaust makes breathing easier and usually is on thicker N95s. However, this lessens how much exhaling clears out the mask of contamination build up. N95s fit very poorly so allow unfiltered air from around the edges. The grading of masks then continues to finally the full bio-hazard and/or chemical masks.


An N95 is referred to as dust mask because it is too porous to block any biological hazard or chemical hazard. However, it offers some protection from sanding material such as wood or fiberglass, metal shavings when grinding and "dust" situations. Another example is pouring concrete or cement powder into a mixer - although a higher grade mask should be used. N95s also seal to the face very poorly, particularly the cheapest ones.


We only use N95s for handling certain non-toxic powders or where a low level protection from contamination by the employee is appropriate in terms of non-toxic "dust" - an excess of which could too greatly inhibit breathing. The lungs can remove dust, dirt etc, but only so fast. So while a person is generally always breathing dust, sand, dirt etc, it is not a problem. But it killed people in the Dust Bowl era being more than their lungs could remove.


Doctors do not wear masks just to protect themselves from patients as you said. They are more to protect the patient.
 
A ventilator is any device that provides breathing air under pressure and may also have negative pressure to assist in exhaling. Generally, while people believe their breathing problem is getting oxygen into the body, actually it is almost always a problem of getting the co2 out. The problem for COPD is removing co2 from the body. Oxygen supplementing is primarily to offset excess co2 in the body.

The highest grade ventilators basically does all breathing a person does. For certain types of surgery such as open heart surgery they made used drugs to basically turn a person's body off. A specialist will literally pump the person's heart by hand (I was informed such such specialists are from India.) The ventilator will use positive and negative pressure to operate the lungs. The oxygen percentage generally will be increased. It is critical to get that person off the ventilator as soon as possible. The longer left on it, the more likely damage is done and/or the brain "forgetting" how to breathe. It is understood some never will or not for a long time - having to remain on a ventilator the rest of their likely short life unless then can get the brain to "reboot" - so to speak.

In the final stage of being on a ventilator for covid-19 - the lungs areso filling with liquid and/or blood - positive and negative air pressure with a 90% level of oxygen is used. At that stage, they claim 20% are surviving, 80% are not. There was an last desperate attempt to save a doctor was to put him on a blood oxygenation machine - by which his blood was oxygenated by the machine, not his lungs which no longer were functioning. It failed.

But my guess is you'll just throw a greater tantrum worse than your last one in response like a 6 year old shouting "but the teacher said..!" fully not understanding what they heard.

While the government now seems to claim the N95 is the holy grail of masks - at the start the acknowledged they were extremely deficit and offered little to no protection. Doctors and nurses dealing with covid-19 and virus patients should be wearing bio-hazard masks and face shields, not N95s and surgical masks. I suspect many are - but we will never be allowed to see that on TV. NO ONE can get those even if available UNLESS a prior customer for them. We don't need them, but if available could buy them - and you couldn't.
 
You also do not understand what stopping "95% of airborne particles" means.

You easily could kill 99% of all warm blooded animals with a mere 75 pound pull bow and arrow set up. If accurate, then you just read you could easily kill 99% of elephants and blue whales with a 75 pound pull bow. :roll:

A sanitizing chemical that kills 99.99% of germs does not kill 99.99% of all germs. Rather, there are 0.01 percent of types of germs it won't. We manufacture a solution that kills 100% of germs.

In your analysis, to survive an execution in a gas chamber that uses cyanide gas, all a person would need do is wear an N95 mask because it would block 95% of the cyanide - which also are "particles" in the air because all molecular and atomic structure is. But, damn, it is hard to breathe with 95% of oxygen blocked by the N95!

The restrictive size of porous N95s to virus is like a screen door to water. Virus are extremely small. Very, very, very small. Super duper small. Extra really tiny.
 
joko104 said:
Your messages are ignorant and I'm tired of the ignorance. We have over 1,000 N95s and a range of masks, shields and protection up to full bio-hazard and chemical full body suits, along with tank and remote hose "respirators." I am the registered safety officer in all regards with the Dept. Homeland Security, OSHA and DOT. I have been trained and government tested in this regards. I am truly tired of the incessant ignorance on any topic about N95. The company, facility, myself and 1 other person are registered and licensed to receive, store, process and ship any substance including bio-hazard and chemical - other than radioactive materials.


As an analogy to a car, the motor's engine filter is a "mask" for the motor. If it has a supercharger or turbocharger that provides positive air pressure to the motor it is a "ventilator." However, "ventilator" is so commonly used for masks, it is accepted terminology.


The N95 is the LOWEST grade mask. The worst, not the best.
The rating is based upon the size of particles that can pass thru it. Virus are extremely small. By comparison, it would be like trying to stop water flow by using screen door material. Depending how thick and many layers of screen door material there is, will determine how much is slows the water flow and the only water restricted would be water remaining on it by water tension. Thus there are many different levels of N95 - depending how thick the material is - and whether it has an exhale exhaust. The exhale exhaust makes breathing easier and usually is on thicker N95s. However, this lessens how much exhaling clears out the mask of contamination build up. N95s fit very poorly so allow unfiltered air from around the edges. The grading of masks then continues to finally the full bio-hazard and/or chemical masks.


An N95 is referred to as dust mask because it is too porous to block any biological hazard or chemical hazard. However, it offers some protection from sanding material such as wood or fiberglass, metal shavings when grinding and "dust" situations. Another example is pouring concrete or cement powder into a mixer - although a higher grade mask should be used. N95s also seal to the face very poorly, particularly the cheapest ones.


We only use N95s for handling certain non-toxic powders or where a low level protection from contamination by the employee is appropriate in terms of non-toxic "dust" - an excess of which could too greatly inhibit breathing. The lungs can remove dust, dirt etc, but only so fast. So while a person is generally always breathing dust, sand, dirt etc, it is not a problem. But it killed people in the Dust Bowl era being more than their lungs could remove.


Doctors do not wear masks just to protect themselves from patients as you said. They are more to protect the patient.
Click to expand...

** Bad information alert **

You're picking out information that's out of context and not correct. You sir, are a danger. Goodbye
 
THE FACTS:

The porosity of a surgical mask is 50 and 60 micrometers.
(PDF) The porosity of masks used in medicine

"Since the coronavirus is an extremely small virus, it can pass through the pores of both the surgical mask and N95 respirator."
MERS-CoV, surgical mask and N95 respirators

"N95 respirators made by different companies were found to have different filtration efficiencies for the most penetrating particle size (0.1 to 0.3 micron), but all were at least 95% efficient at that size for NaCl particles."
Performance of N95 respirators: filtration efficiency for airborne microbial and inert particles. - PubMed - NCBI

Viruses: Parasitic infectious microbes, composed almost entirely of protein and nucleic acids, which can cause disease(s) in humans. Viruses can reproduce only within living cells. They are 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size, which is about 100 times smaller than bacteria.
Bacteria and Viruses

0.1 micron filtration does not block 0.004 size virus.

The N95 is better than nothing and better than a surgical mask, though a surgical mask is far more comfortable and easier to breath thru.

But doesn't matter. Only what the paid actor talking head commentators who have no expertise whatever say today is the truth, even if exactly opposite of what they said yesterday, to the terrified and hate-mongering idiots watching them.

No reason to believe anything anyone posts, but in the business operation I am tested, certified, licensed and registered as qualified in knowledge on this topic by numerous federal agencies. Technically in their view, the lives of every employee is dependent upon it, though we discontinued having any bio-hazard materials a few years ago just like we stopped doing so for the most high risk chemicals. At one time, one of your facilities should have been called "Stored Death HQ." Instead, the business increasingly is slowly being closed down, though a few years probably to total shut down. We don't need it.
 
Last edited:
HumblePi said:
** Bad information alert **

You're picking out information that's out of context and not correct. You sir, are a danger. Goodbye
Click to expand...

As Joe Biden said, Democrats no longer will accept facts. You plan on voting for Biden, don't you because you fully agree with him. Facts don't matter, only what he and therefore you declare is the truth.

The danger, sir, is you.
 
Bucky said:
For goodness sakes, you do not need to wear an N95 mask to go-to grocery store. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Donate it to your hospital. You can save lives.
Click to expand...

How nice of you to armchair quarterback your useless advice. :roll:
 
joko104 said:
An N95 is a dust mask. Nothing else. Virus are so small they can pass right thru it - not counting all the gaps. For you, good tight fitting googles make more sense. Eyes don't have to breathe and there are few natural defenses for the eyes. Less than nose and throat - or even lungs.

What protects you against covid-19 is not and N95. Not a painter's mask with replaceable cartridges. But a bio-harzard mask - with a full fitted face shield.

An N95 does protect others a little by preventing droplets going so far if you cough. But may more endanger you because your body will try to cough out the virus - that is why you cough. With a mask, then you breathe that virus back in.

It is NOT just if the virus gets into your body - but how many? The more there are, the more there are to multiple. The faster then multiple, the harder it is going to hit you and the less lead up time you immunity system (the ONLY thing that can save you as there is cure) to deal with it.

So an N95 does protect others. But if you have covid-19 it increases the odds you will become far worse sick and more likely to die because you'll breath back in the virus you coughed into the inside of the mask.

Bet you'll never, ever hear a word on that. Our facility has 10 to 12 foot thick binders we had to assembly, mostly I did. None are anything like invoice records. At least 50% are custom pages done by me, for which I had - each a seperate topic - and to address every imaginable danger - from biological to chemical, fire to tornado, accidents of all kinds - stating exaclty what procedures the company has for this, who is the officer in charge of it (generally I am named) etc.

Protect your eyes. If you think you may have covid-19, an N95 protects others. It can greatly endanger you.

PEOPLE COUGH because their body is trying get rid of something in the lungs. Thus, with colds and flus, people cough a lot. NEVER take a cough suppressant for the flu - or this. Cough as much as you can handle, even making yourself cough. Every cough reduced the number of virus that are in and then multiply in you. That's why the sicker you are, the more you cough. Until just too exhausted and weak putting you to sleep. If you feel like you need to cough - ever - do it - same for sneezing. That's clear out your nose/nasal passage.

Over and over and over, I keep mention the MSM is lying. A lot. Constantly. If you have covid-19, wear a mask as little as possible - only to protect others. Wear googles to keep it from coming back into your eyes. Change bedding often - virus is on it. Shower a lot - hot and soap - wash the virus off you. Do everything any you breathed or coughed out coming back into your body.

It takes what - 12 seconds of thought - to understand the obvious of this message. Understand why your body forces you to cough and sneeze. NEVER resist it. NEVER try to suppress it.

OSHA forbids most masks worn - even if NOT required - by anyone with facial hair and that is not specifically fitted to the individual. If the job does require a mask, it doesn't. If the mask doesn't require a mask, but as a safeguard you wear one, then it MUST met the standard. No middle ground allowed. But government regulations usually are not particularly rational.
Click to expand...

The point of the mask is not capture the saliva and other mists that people expel when breathing and talking. The virus not generally floating around by itself but in those mists. The face masks capture the mist limiting the spread.

Given the success in SK and Japan it looks like it works fairly effectively
 
JacksinPA said:
I bought 2 N95 masks several years ago. I had one in my car & my wife found the second one in its original plastic bubble packaging in a cabinet in the laundry room. This is the mask that is in such great demand today. Whether they work or not, they are better than nothing. I insisted that my wife wear one when she went grocery shopping the other day. She had problems keeping the mask in place, but she hasn't started coughing or complaining of a fever yet.
Click to expand...

Found over 3 dozen in my shop stash, kept 2 each for me and my wife, and stopped a Sheriff patrolling my area and handed him the rest for him and his fellow officers, he was very appreciative.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom