Covid Masks

[Warren Lake]

I woke up hearing a radio show that said Canada has the highest incidence of Covid in Care Workers because they use Surgical Masks. I think he said four times as high as countries that use the N95 Masks. Ive bought N95 for the shop forever and they are fine when i bother to use them for shop stuff

My mother just nearly died cause of Covid, not cause she has it but because for the last 2 1/2 years there was one of us there every day. Now 2 months of keeping us away she did what my cabinet teacher did and stopped all food pills and water. She knew what he did to escape. She got to edge and looked like any of my friends at the time they passed little pointy nose and sunken chin. We were allowed in even before she was sent to emergency as they saw she was dying and got why.


Does anyone know specifics of these masks? Last time I asked 3M something specific about something else I got a lame answer as the pros ive dealt with over 40 for years have all retired. Sad thing about being in this trade a long time you will search and try and find the very best at a company and stick with them then lose them when they retire. Too often new recruits are just a warm body.


Guy on the show said the high numbers in Care Givers is do to the surgical masks only half work, countries with the low numbers use the N95 he did not say NR95 but N95 I can post a photo if need be.



thanks



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[Brian Elfert]

They are probably not using N95 masks for everyone in healthcare because there is a severe shortage of N95 masks. It used to be that N95 masks were used only for personnel going into the room of a contagious patient. Now, everyone in a hospital is wearing masks plus there are a lot more patients who are contagious and require personnel to wear an N95 mask for. N95 masks at most hospitals are severely rationed and many hospitals are disinfecting N95 masks to reuse them

[Andrew Seemann]

A month ago I gave my aunt, a nurse, a box of N95 masks I found on a shelf in the shop. She nearly cried when I handed them to her. Apparently they couldn't get them anywhere then.

[Warren Lake]

Its not so simple I see like all stuff, take your info and look more and you find more. If a mechanic answers a question I go to a friend that is a mechanic and races and presto new info. Once I asked ASC certified mechanics or whatever letters are and they were giving me wrong info and they made the tool I wanted to buy from them. Thats sad when it goes that far but it just shows you have find pros. I took the info to Timken and they sat me at a boardroom table and confirmed my friend was correct.

I looked up a bit and the guy who said surgical masks are 50 percent as good is right then his number is only a guess so that number likely not. First thing I read wasnt positive about surgical masks.

Then I went after are surgical masks N95? and found more surgical masks some of them are N95 but they are clearly not the ones they are using in the home. The home could have had a stock of N95 stuff easily I used to buy them likely 100 at a time or maybe it was more and pricing was just fine. I haven't checked with my past supplier. There is a ventilator in the ones I have and have to wonder about that but its N95 in use in a shop they blow the others away as you dont end up blowing your own hot breath back on you.

[Thomas McCurnin]

From my Doctor

Any mask or face covering is better than nothing

There are two types of N95, one with a valve, and one without. Both have equal protection for the wearer, but the valve presents an issue for those nearby the wearer.

Masks are not required, and are fairly useless against the virus outside the 6' radius of other people.

[Warren Lake]

no response for that doctor statement

if that valve is a negative that is progress. Best to have an N95 no filter then that is if the filter in there allows stuff to get out it might not.

clearly all surgical masks are not the same and since the care givers in canada have the highest rate the guy on the show looked into why. I asked the home they said N95 for the care givers. I look it up and surgical masks are not automatically N95 so second time see there are specific surgical masks that are N95. Ill check a box when im there.
this was first post on Surgical masks


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[Bruce Wrenn]

The material for N95 masks was developed at the School of Textiles at NCSU. They made the fabric so it becomes electrostatically charged, kind of like some furnace filters. As air passes thru, any particles become attached to mask surface.

[Warren Lake]

so what about stuff posted, the air vent does it contain going out? the surgical mask info? based on what the show said he is looking correct so far. I did the logical question after the show and clearly there are different surgical masks and some are N95. The ones ive seen hook on your ears and arent close to what I use in the shop two straps and pull tight.

[Stan Calow]

Warren, people are using what they have or can get, not what's ideal. There's nothing that's completely effective or was designed for this specific situation. And none of the masks work well if they don't fit properly or aren't worn correctly. Plus there are some counterfeit (uncertified) N95 masks out there as well.

[Andrew Joiner]

I was looking into this as well : https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....-19&highlight=

[John K Jordan]

Warren, those with the vents have no filtering when exhaling so if you are infected and the other person is not wearing an N95 mask he is exposed to what you are exhaling.

You can always use industrial respirators with replaceable filter cartridges. Sometimes hard to find now but I have a lots of N95 masks and respirators in my shop from before this all started and our local farm store has a bunch of the respirators on the shelf.

JKJ

[Warren Lake]

thanks guys its appreciated, you understand my thought process from hearing the guy on the radio. Looks like he was correct. Thanks on the venting or confirming that. yeah I have several diff types of masks even full coverage and fresh air suit.

[Todd Trebuna]

N95’s are only needed for aerosolized covid. For any other type of transmission, it’s going to be droplet protection for which a surgical mask is fine along with proper hand hygiene. In the beginning, people were slow to intubate which led to hasty intubation which led to aerosolization and infection transmission. Keep in mind that surgical masks are masks, while N95’s and their equivalents (kn95 and m8000) are respirators. They have to be fit tested and require a seal to be effective. People that can’t fit test in them (like me,because I have. A big nose) have to wear a PAPR. The reason for a universal mask policy is because if everybody wears a mask you achieve source protection. People keep their droplets to themselves.