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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWear an N95 mask to own the dummies..
I wore an N95 mask that I got off Amazon into a convenience store in rural Idaho today. Of course I was the only one in the store wearing a mask of any kind.
I picked up all the important food groups, six pack of Uinta Brewing Hazy Nosh IPA (you can get good beer almost everywhere these days), a box of Wheat Thins (an American classic), and a Hagen Das Dark Chocolate ice cream bar. Standing waiting my turn at the register, a guy crossed the store to ask me why I was wearing a mask. Before I could answer, he said, you know that masks dont protect you, dont you? They only protect other people. And he said it in a way that implied I was dumber than he was.
I stepped into his space and said, you got it wrong pal. Its those blue masks that protect other people. This is an N95s mask that protects me from people who dont wear masks. I dont really give a shit about anybody but me. That answer your question?
I held his gaze while he fish mouthed for a few seconds then turned away.
The moral of this story is that its easy to get N95 and KN95 masks which really do protect the wearer from exposure to airborne viruses like Covid. Theyre not 100% effective but way, way more than those blue and white masks are at self protection. Theres a ready supply from various well known suppliers like 3M on Amazon. Since a large percentage of the general population refuses to do the decent thing and wear a mask to try to protect the people around them, you may as well protect yourself from them by wearing an N95 mask.
frazzled
(18,402 posts)is a great message to be spreading, just in general. Even if it does get the guy to mask up.
OnDoutside
(19,945 posts)Gregory Peccary
(490 posts)Diamond_Dog
(31,895 posts)Why they get so hysterical over someone else wearing a mask.
bottomofthehill
(8,317 posts)and were trying to protect him.
liberalla
(9,221 posts)Hey buddy, this could be saving your life. You don't know if I'm virus-free, or what!
Budi
(15,325 posts)rurallib
(62,373 posts)out there.
I am trying to watch it again now, but if I recall Amazon masks had a significant fail rate.
Yea at 5:25 they discuss Amazon. Please be careful:
https://democraticunderground.com/1017674508
sir pball
(4,737 posts)It's very easy to confuse the two since there's only one letter difference; N95 is a US rating while KN95 is a Chinese rating.
A proper KN95 is as protective as an N95, in many cases the only difference is the straps (I have a case of 3M N95s that are Made In China, identical facepiece to my KN95s), but as with pretty much any product out of the Middle Kingdom counterfeiting is a problem. N95s are far less likely to be faked, if you can get those and tolerate them - the fit is a lot tighter, nosebridge irritation can be an issue - it's absolutely the better choice, but with a bit of diligence KN95s are just fine.
Or you can go full-on Hot Zone and get a facepiece with replaceable filter cartridges, the P100 rating is the gold standard for biological protection but you can only get them in that form
crickets
(25,951 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,562 posts)for over a year(my sister ordered them in Feb 2020). If they air out they are good to reuse if you don't reuse them too much. Going out in public only one or twice a week with my 3M N95 gives me the feeling of good protection. I got 1,000 blue surgical masks for Christmas but they aren't nearly as tight as my 3M N95. There is a BIG difference. Anyone who has ever worn one can tell you the same.