Never heard of this site. 5.0 stars, but can't click to read any reviews.
Hi Straycat76, I was the same (on not knowing the site) - but I posted this thread, and a user knew they were a sister store of OrangeOnions, which you may have heard of.
Hi Straycat76, I was the same (on not knowing the site) - but I posted this thread, and a user knew they were a sister store of OrangeOnions, which you may have heard of.
These basic cotton masks do essentially nothing to filter out aerosolized droplets and/or viral particles from inhaled or exhaled air. Such a product only meaningfully offers a false sense of security, and thus may well put wearers and those exposed to them at higher risk of exposure (such as by behaving as if protected but are NOT).
The only masks that offer significant reduction in particles on the order of size necessary to mitigate pathogen (COVID-19) transmission are N95/P100 rated masks, which are difficult to find. There are however some materials that have been tested to be more effective than others for homemade masks. Here is a link for those interested.
* This does not appear to be a rigorously peer reviewed study, so keep that in mind when making serious healthcare decisions. That said, it seems to be a good place to start relative to arbitrarily wrapping just anything around one's face and believing it works.
* * * BEHAVE AS IF EVERYTHING IS INFECTED * * *
* When I was an undergraduate, in microbiology lab they secretly "contaminated" our hands with a UV dye, and after 10-15 minutes, they turned the lights off and turned on a black light, showing us just how quickly contamination spreads when behaving normally. They instilled a sense of contamination paranoia, for which I have been thankful for. It is incredibly beneficial for mitigating pathogen transmission.
You know what they do? They allow me to take my kid into Costco for groceries and into the salon to get their haircut.
Right, they have become a nearly useless facet of compliance that lends mainly a false sense of security. That was my issue. They are being employed/required/etc without any functional requirements thus making them largely futile and altogether a potentially endangering practice without such.
There are fabrics and materials that do work better than others however and can lend SOME ACTUAL protection in absence of true masks. Flow rate is also key. Be safe people. If you're not protected behave as such.
Right, they have become a nearly useless facet of compliance that lends mainly a false sense of security. That was my issue. They are being employed/required/etc without any functional requirements thus making them largely futile and altogether a potentially endangering practice without such.
There are fabrics and materials that do work better than others however and can lend SOME ACTUAL protection in absence of true masks. Flow rate is also key. Be safe people. If you're not protected behave as such.
Luckydog: As most medical professionals believe we are 12-18 months away from a vaccine, at least, my outlook is that some mask is better than none. I am aware that N95/N99 masks adequately filter out droplets and that simple fabric masks do not, but they offer a basic, albeit crappy level of protection. We are in this for the long haul, and N95s are hard to breathe in (I have a box and have worn them for over a month).
What would you suggest to be reasonable balance between health and sustainability? If we all get sick of wearing hard to breathe masks people will just give up and wear nothing. Life is always about compromises to an extent and this is no different imho.
Luckydog: As most medical professionals believe we are 12-18 months away from a vaccine, at least, my outlook is that some mask is better than none. I am aware that N95/N99 masks adequately filter out droplets and that simple fabric masks do not, but they offer a basic, albeit crappy level of protection. We are in this for the long haul, and N95s are hard to breathe in (I have a box and have worn them for over a month).
What would you suggest to be reasonable balance between health and sustainability? If we all get sick of wearing hard to breathe masks people will just give up and wear nothing. Life is always about compromises to an extent and this is no different imho.
Hmm. Well I'd say I've never found N95 masks difficult to breathe through. If you do it may be a respiratory issue you should be aware of. If N95 or better were available widely they should be the requirement, and if people are at high risk and can't wear them for long periods they should probably limit their exposure not downgrade their protection.
That not withstanding, my real point was to highlight the inefficacy of almost all but rated masks so those without proper protection behave appropriately as that is the best and only real protection they have. In addition the eyes are another modality for transmission so even an effective mask is only part of the equation.
Yes get what you can get and use it but there is much better than basic cotton, and most importantly, is to be aware of the notable limitations. The list of materials I linked not only includes filtration efficacy of different materials but ease of airflow as well. I believe most are subjectively aware rated masks are best but aren't aware specifically just how inferior basic cotton masks are at removing .3 micron or smaller particles. If someone said this car has no airbags you'd drive differently. This is analogous and was my intent.
Hmm. Well I'd say I've never found N95 masks difficult to breathe through. If you do it may be a respiratory issue you should be aware of. If N95 or better were available widely they should be the requirement, and if people are at high risk and can't wear them for long periods they should probably limit their exposure not downgrade their protection.
That not withstanding, my real point was to highlight the inefficacy of almost all but rated masks so those without proper protection behave appropriately as that is the best and only real protection they have. In addition the eyes are another modality for transmission so even an effective mask is only part of the equation.
Yes get what you can get and use it but there is much better than basic cotton, and most importantly, is to be aware of the notable limitations. The list of materials I linked not only includes filtration efficacy of different materials but ease of airflow as well. I believe most are subjectively aware rated masks are best but aren't aware specifically just how inferior basic cotton masks are at removing .3 micron or smaller particles. If someone said this car has no airbags you'd drive differently. This is analogous and was my intent.
You do realize the material has nothing to do with a mask, after you account for that gap between the nose and the face ? I don't understand - are people stupid, ignorant or what is going it - why would anybody test the material and completely ignore the proper process to make a mask. As if it's a rocket science - a bit of sponge under the metal part that seals your nose. But no, nobody is talking about it - look how they recommend a mask made out of bra - even in that small picture you can see the gap.
You do realize the material has nothing to do with a mask, after you account for that gap between the nose and the face ? I don't understand - are people stupid, ignorant or what is going it - why would anybody test the material and completely ignore the proper process to make a mask. As if it's a rocket science - a bit of sponge under the metal part that seals your nose. But no, nobody is talking about it - look how they recommend a mask made out of bra - even in that small picture you can see the gap.
Air acts very similar to a fluid, and in fluid dynamics a very small change in diameter makes a dramatic change in resistance and thus flow rate. Basically with a mask you have the mask and the gaps acting as parallel paths where the pressure differential drawn by inspiration pulls on both. A proper mask (material and design with proper fit) will have a lower resistance than the gaps and provide the vast majority of airflow, again, if properly fitted. If we assume gaps in all masks, filtration efficiency still matters as it is a much larger reduction from the majority share of air. There are also masks with seals such as P100 types that make a near perfect seal, although they are unicorns at the moment, but could be replicated at home with care.
I believe the logic is, a proper mask fitting can be made but even so without proper filtration it is meaningless, and, all else equal, reducing more particles from the majority share of air using X material instead of Y is better. It is a data point they provided and I linked to, it was not a suggestion to strap a coffee filter to your face and go brave the world headlong. Almost nothing is 100%, but some implementations more significantly mitigate risk than others. That is my point. Basic cotton does essentially nothing but add a cuddly warm feeling of naive safety.
Air acts very similar to a fluid, and in fluid dynamics a very small change in diameter makes a dramatic change in resistance and thus flow rate. Basically with a mask you have the mask and the gaps acting as parallel paths where the pressure differential drawn by inspiration pulls on both. A proper mask (material and design with proper fit) will have a lower resistance than the gaps and provide the vast majority of airflow, again, if properly fitted. If we assume gaps in all masks, filtration efficiency still matters as it is a much larger reduction from the majority share of air. There are also masks with seals such as P100 types that make a near perfect seal, although they are unicorns at the moment, but could be replicated at home with care.
I believe the logic is, a proper mask fitting can be made but even so without proper filtration it is meaningless, and, all else equal, reducing more particles from the majority share of air using X material instead of Y is better. It is a data point they provided and I linked to, it was not a suggestion to strap a coffee filter to your face and go brave the world headlong. Almost nothing is 100%, but some implementations more significantly mitigate risk than others. That is my point. Basic cotton does essentially nothing but add a cuddly warm feeling of naive safety.
Despite perhaps best intentions, points like this are lost, or at best diminished, unless the point offers a clear and understandable solution.
slickDEALS is a website geared towards an audience interested in purchasing items at a good price, not about how to make those items. I would argue pointing to a link with 20+ materials is far less useful than providing a link to a ready to buy mask that you feel is worthwhile.
What mask do you suggest for those that are not wanting to wear/find difficulty in procuring N95 masks?
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The only masks that offer significant reduction in particles on the order of size necessary to mitigate pathogen (COVID-19) transmission are N95/P100 rated masks, which are difficult to find. There are however some materials that have been tested to be more effective than others for homemade masks. Here is a link for those interested.
https://smartairfilters
* This does not appear to be a rigorously peer reviewed study, so keep that in mind when making serious healthcare decisions. That said, it seems to be a good place to start relative to arbitrarily wrapping just anything around one's face and believing it works.
* * * BEHAVE AS IF EVERYTHING IS INFECTED * * *
* When I was an undergraduate, in microbiology lab they secretly "contaminated" our hands with a UV dye, and after 10-15 minutes, they turned the lights off and turned on a black light, showing us just how quickly contamination spreads when behaving normally. They instilled a sense of contamination paranoia, for which I have been thankful for. It is incredibly beneficial for mitigating pathogen transmission.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
There are fabrics and materials that do work better than others however and can lend SOME ACTUAL protection in absence of true masks. Flow rate is also key. Be safe people. If you're not protected behave as such.
There are fabrics and materials that do work better than others however and can lend SOME ACTUAL protection in absence of true masks. Flow rate is also key. Be safe people. If you're not protected behave as such.
What would you suggest to be reasonable balance between health and sustainability? If we all get sick of wearing hard to breathe masks people will just give up and wear nothing. Life is always about compromises to an extent and this is no different imho.
What would you suggest to be reasonable balance between health and sustainability? If we all get sick of wearing hard to breathe masks people will just give up and wear nothing. Life is always about compromises to an extent and this is no different imho.
That not withstanding, my real point was to highlight the inefficacy of almost all but rated masks so those without proper protection behave appropriately as that is the best and only real protection they have. In addition the eyes are another modality for transmission so even an effective mask is only part of the equation.
Yes get what you can get and use it but there is much better than basic cotton, and most importantly, is to be aware of the notable limitations. The list of materials I linked not only includes filtration efficacy of different materials but ease of airflow as well. I believe most are subjectively aware rated masks are best but aren't aware specifically just how inferior basic cotton masks are at removing .3 micron or smaller particles. If someone said this car has no airbags you'd drive differently. This is analogous and was my intent.
That not withstanding, my real point was to highlight the inefficacy of almost all but rated masks so those without proper protection behave appropriately as that is the best and only real protection they have. In addition the eyes are another modality for transmission so even an effective mask is only part of the equation.
Yes get what you can get and use it but there is much better than basic cotton, and most importantly, is to be aware of the notable limitations. The list of materials I linked not only includes filtration efficacy of different materials but ease of airflow as well. I believe most are subjectively aware rated masks are best but aren't aware specifically just how inferior basic cotton masks are at removing .3 micron or smaller particles. If someone said this car has no airbags you'd drive differently. This is analogous and was my intent.
I believe the logic is, a proper mask fitting can be made but even so without proper filtration it is meaningless, and, all else equal, reducing more particles from the majority share of air using X material instead of Y is better. It is a data point they provided and I linked to, it was not a suggestion to strap a coffee filter to your face and go brave the world headlong. Almost nothing is 100%, but some implementations more significantly mitigate risk than others. That is my point. Basic cotton does essentially nothing but add a cuddly warm feeling of naive safety.
I believe the logic is, a proper mask fitting can be made but even so without proper filtration it is meaningless, and, all else equal, reducing more particles from the majority share of air using X material instead of Y is better. It is a data point they provided and I linked to, it was not a suggestion to strap a coffee filter to your face and go brave the world headlong. Almost nothing is 100%, but some implementations more significantly mitigate risk than others. That is my point. Basic cotton does essentially nothing but add a cuddly warm feeling of naive safety.
slickDEALS is a website geared towards an audience interested in purchasing items at a good price, not about how to make those items. I would argue pointing to a link with 20+ materials is far less useful than providing a link to a ready to buy mask that you feel is worthwhile.
What mask do you suggest for those that are not wanting to wear/find difficulty in procuring N95 masks?