Double KN95 masked.

[LiberatedUSA]

My wife has a procedure today, so we both doubled up. Still seeing lots of cloth masks.

These are more snug than cloth ones, yet glasses do not fog near as much; even doubled. I did order some mask clips while waiting around, as these rub a bit more on the ears for me.

[RockCreek]

1. I did a double KN 95 and K95 yesterday.

KN 95 had more flexible nose clip, so U turned it upside down and put that on the bottom to get a good seal around my chin. The N95 was over it worn on the regular way. I'd noticed too much escaping air from below with the N95 although it is sized as appropriately as I have been able to find.
I'm triple jabbed with Moderna. Booster was in November.
I had to take a foster cat to the vet and wanted to be there for part of his exam.
No one who I saw working in the vet clinic was wearing any better than a surgical mask.

[Ms. Toad]

2. Fit and filtration matter.

two-layer cloth masks made from 600 TPI cotton, or three layers (two quilting cotton and one non-cotton layer - e.g. silk) filter as well as K/N95 masks. Both degrade over time - by 30 hours of wearing, the K/N95 masks filter at about 85%. I don't have specific stats on cloth over time, but as you wash them the threads lose microfibers (all that stuff on your lint filter).

My cloth masks fit more snugly than my KN94 masks (which I'm wearing now) - but I've seen a lot of poorly fitted K/N 95 masks. If your K/N mask has gaps, you might as well be wearing a gaitor, since air will always take the path of least resistance (i.e. through the gaps).

I am wearing KN94** masks now (since my cloth masks have all been washed many times and I don't have time right now to make more). Even degraded, since they fit so well, I am comfortable wearing my cloth masks in the absence of omicron - and I hate filling landfills with disposable masks so I will return to them once the threat of omicron has passed.

My glasses fog more with KN94 (and breathe more easily) than wth cloth masks. The filtration process is different and depends less on size of holes and more on electrostatic capture in the high quality disposable masks. (I have absolutely no fog from any of my cloth masks, but I have to breathe very gently to avoid glasses fogging with the KN94 masks)

BUT - the people you see wearing cloth masks may be as protected as you, depending on fit and filtration for that particular mask.

** KN94 masks are certified by the South Korean government, offer equivalent filtration, and because of the manner of certification are less likely to be counterfeit than the K95/N95 which are available ot the general public.