What are the best coronavirus masks?

Sasha

Sasha

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I rarely go out and seem to have ended up with a bunch of useless masks. I'd like better ones. I gather that cotton ones, even with a tissue layer, aren't much good; I've bought some that are supposed to be better, but they don't fit, so presumably are 100% useless for self-protection.

What are supposed to be the best kind, and how do you get them?
 
Sasha said:
I rarely go out and seem to have ended up with a bunch of useless masks. I'd like better ones. I gather that cotton ones, even with a tissue layer, aren't much good; I've bought some that are supposed to be better, but they don't fit, so presumably are 100% useless for self-protection.

What are supposed to be the best kind, and how do you get them?
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Look for FFP2 masks (also N95, I think) which are higher grade filtration and protect the wearer as well as others.
 
I recently purchased an "Advanced Filtering Face Mask (AFFM)" made by 3M. It claims to filter "at least" 95% of particulate matter, but it does not claim to be an N95 mask because it has not been approved by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). They seem to sell these masks for about $3 each in the US, although I've only seem them in "Target" stores.

I'm not sure what's so advanced about them, except that instead of loops that go around your ears, you're supposed to join the loops behind your head with a double hook. I think this is meant to create a tighter seal of the mask on you face. There also seems to be a rim along the edge of the mask where is touches your face and this may provide a tighter seal as well. They are not, however, FDA approved for use in health care settings.

The bad news is that, when I tried to fasten the hook to the "ear loops" behind my head, the mask split right up the center (where there is seam), making it unusable. I don't know if it was a bad mask or if my adult, male cranium was just too big for it. Anyway, I regret that it didn't work for me, but it might work for someone else. It'll cost $3 to find out (they can be bought individually).

[Actually, I returned the broken mask, so it cost me nothing.]
 
Sasha said:
What certification should I be looking for, for a mask bought in the UK? I had a look on Amazon and some are 'CE' and others have some other kind of European certification.
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I would probably stay away from Amazon if you want to be sure you're getting the real deal. Any person can import from China (for example) and sell in UK without ever getting near the product.

You could try somewhere like Medisave https://www.medisave.co.uk/
 
The masks I use are from American companies, so I don't know if they ship internationally. My favorite mask is made by Halo. It's washable, very comfortable, and more protective than an N95. The fit is excellent with adjustable ear loops and nose wire and also fabric under the chin that fits closely. Halo also has some great designs and colors.

The only disadvantage I've seen is that is takes some practice to insert the filter since you are working blind behind the fabric. The filter is large since it covers almost the entire mask. You fold the filter lengthwise, lift the wire away from the fabric, and feed the filter in while keeping it as much on the bottom of the mask as you can. Then you unfold the filter. My sister uses hemostats to feed it in, but it's easier for me to do manually.

https://halolife.io/

For disposable masks, my favorites are from a company called WellBefore. Some of their masks have adjustable ear loops, which I haven't seen in other disposable masks. I use these disposable masks mainly when my Halo masks need washing (like today). I also like disposable masks when I get my hair done since it doesn't matter if the straps get wet in the shampoo bowl.

https://wellbefore.com/products/kn95-disposable-fda-ce?variant=32898772828289
https://wellbefore.com/products/kn95-mask-3d-style/

I really like masks with adjustable ear loops because people's ears vary so much in size and also how far back they are set.
 
Sasha said:
What are supposed to be the best kind, and how do you get them?
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N95 masks are the best. They offer 95% protection from small particles. They are easy to find these days. Online retailers include Amazon, office supply stores, Costco.

The three ply surgical masks that the doctor's offices and the hospitals are handing out don't offer as much protection. We are being told here in BC that they don't offer good protection so I don't know why they are still be handed out. Probably because they are cheaper than the N95s.
 
Sasha said:
What certification should I be looking for, for a mask bought in the UK? I had a look on Amazon and some are 'CE' and others have some other kind of European certification.
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Stay well away from Amazon if i were you, you cant verify them. Just because it says N95/KN95?FFP2 or 3 on it, doesnt mean it actually is. I did some research on this last year & made a thread
How to check if your N95/FFP3 mask is 'kosher' | Science for ME (s4me.info)
You particularly have to watch the CE mark (see description/link on the thread linked to )

I used to buy from medisave (linked by @InitialConditions ) & have also used the Aura ones that @Dx Revision Watch described.

But im starting to prefer the over ear type for wearing outside as they can be more easily taken on/off removed when other people aren't close by. So am currently using covaflu masks from clinova which i like as they're comfy & fit well.

COVAFLU™ - High Filter Disposable Face Masks
 
Sasha said:
Where should people look for these? Amazon, etc.?
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Prior to the pandemic, I principally came across these masks at "home improvement" stores like "Home Depot" and "Lowe's," where they were sold for protection against the particles generated by construction work - such as airborne sawdust or fiberglass dust.

Those locations rapidly sold out of N95's at the start of the pandemic, but I've seen them in stock there more recently (perhaps partly because full vaccination has led some people to use somewhat cheaper, less effective but more "breathable" masks).

ETA: FWIW, N95 masks do not offer very good protection for spray painting because the spray is too much like a "gas." The mask may reduce the exposure to some degree, but the inside of my nose has wound up tinged with the color of the paint, which can't be a good sign. There are larger respirators that can handle spray paint, however.
 
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Forbin said:
Prior to the pandemic, I principally came across these masks at "home improvement" stores like "Home Depot" and "Lowe's," where they were sold for protection against the particles generated by construction work - such as airborne sawdust or fiberglass dust.
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I used to buy N95 masks at Home Depot to use when I was sanding and prepping for painting.
 
None of them fit.

The masks are quite big, and coronavirus is quite small, and doesn't seem to have any ears, or noses, or mouths.

and even if you could find any that fit, you'd need gigatrillions of them, so it'd probably work out quite expensive, and then how do you persuade virtually all coronaviruses to wear them, all the time.

So I'm sorry, but this plan needs work.
 
Wonko said:
None of them fit.
The masks are quite big, and coronavirus is quite small, and doesn't seem to have any ears, or noses, or mouths.
and even if you could find any that fit, you'd need gigatrillions of them, so it'd probably work out quite expensive, and then how do you persuade virtually all coronaviruses to wear them, all the time.
So I'm sorry, but this plan needs work.
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I understand that top men are working on the problem of delivering the tiny masks... Top. Men.

 
If you're looking for a decent supplier, medisave.co.uk is one of them. I've bought all my masks from them during the pandemic, as it's not unreasonable to assume that a high percentage of what's on sale on sites like Amazon are fake.

It's worthwhile checking that the masks in questions are suitable for healthcare usage, as these are fluid resistant. However, if money's tight, one option if entering a really risky environment is to wear a general FFP3 or 2 respirator (which will filter tiny particles like viruses), plus a fluid resistant type IIR surgical mask to ward off any coughs and sneezes.

In practical terms, if you can find an FFP2 mask that fits your face well, the biggest difference between that and an FFP3 mask is likely to be lifespan. Many FFP3 types are valved, which can significantly extend the lifespan; FFP2 masks are usually only useable for between 3 and 8 hours, but possibly even less in very humid conditions.

Where mine are only used for a couple of minutes to pop into a shop or a filling station, I tend to use them two or three times. I have some paper takeaway bags, and I quarantine each used mask inside a bag for at least a fortnight before deploying it for another brief shop visit. There's a bizarre art installation in my hallway, made up of individually-dated paper carrier bags, held closed by clothes pegs, hanging from the picture rail! :laugh:

This re-use practice wouldn't be allowed in a healthcare setting, but given the environmental impact of the pandemic, it's probably the best balance I can strike.

I'm sure everyone's doing this anyway, but – please, please pull the straps off every mask, or at least cut them, before disposing of it. No matter how careful you are, you can't guarantee that it won't end up in a place where the fixed elastic loops are going result in the slow, painful death of a wild animal.
 
I was under the impression that the WHO spoke out about valved masks several months ago, in that valves are to ease airflow out of the mask, which is fine if the purpose of the mask is to protect the wearer from particulates, but not so good if the purpose is to protect others from what you're breathing out.

My mask system is simple - I have 3 that are in use. I hardly ever use them as they only get used when I open the front door, or have to make one of my rare trips out to get electricity (which often involves opening the front door as I haven't quite cracked the whole passing through solid matter thing yet).

When not in use they sit on a bookcase by the front door. Provided they sit undisturbed for longer than the lifespan of coronavirus on a mask then I see no reason to replace them.

There are 3 coz on occasion I will have more than 1 or 2 deliveries within a week.

I do have many others, but have never needed to rotate more than 3.

I am not yet dead, therefore I conclude my reasoning is correct.
 
Wonko said:
I was under the impression that the WHO spoke out about valved masks several months ago, in that valves are to ease airflow out of the mask, which is fine if the purpose of the mask is to protect the wearer from particulates, but not so good if the purpose is to protect others from what you're breathing out.
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I think here we are discussing masks for wearer protection. Certainly i am anyway.

@Kitty i & my carers have a similar system - but we use small cardboard boxes. The paper bags are a good idea as they will takeup a lot less space, i will look into that.

Edited to add - not that i dont care about protecting others, i wear the non valved type while out. But in my home i wear the valved type, & my carers the unvalved type. The valved are more comfortable because they dont get so hot & damp inside, & my home is chock full of my aerosols in any case so my protecting them from my breath isnt that important while they are wearing an N95. And of course i cant wear ony kind while they are helping me in the bath or to eat my meals
 
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