[kaylynb]

I'm not sure I would call them impractical for everyday wear. I wear N95 masks when commuting during active wildfires. The news always says not to wear them because you won't put them on properly, but it's really not that hard to ensure the fitment is correct. It's not like the construction workers that wear them occupationally are rocket scientists.

My partner is more vulnerable to respiratory problems and has always worn N95 masks when in public during flu season. What's changed now is she gets all kinds of shit from people because they think she somehow hoarded masks away from healthcare workers. We've had boxes N95 masks for years, but now we're assholes for hoarding...

[drcode]

Telling people they should wear masks because they don't put them on properly is like telling people they shouldn't drive cars because some people drive them into trees.

[_spoonman]

I think what OP means is N95 masks must be properly fitted to the individual. When my wife started working at a hospital she had to undergo such a fitting. So unless you get the proper size, you could still be exposed. I think that’s what he meant.

[Seenso]

> N95 masks must be properly fitted to the individual.... So unless you get the proper size, you could still be exposed.

I'd really like to know how often those fit tests actually result in someone needing to select a different respirator size or style.

I wonder if they're only needed if you're required to be 100% sure all your people can use their respirators with near-100% effectiveness. That's probably necessary if you're working in a contagious disease isolation unit or removing asbestos all day every day, but maybe not for less dangerous environments.

[allendoerfer]

I am bookmarking this comment for the time after self-driving cars have become universally available.

[samatman]

Just remember to hold off on the gloating until after the self-driving cars stop occasionally driving into trees.

[geggam]

given the longevity of webservices online I bet HN is gone before that day happens

[samatman]

HN was founded in 2007, so per the Lindy Effect we should bet on it being around until 2033.

I don't know what your over-under on self-driving cars being prevalent is, so I don't know if this supports your point or not.

[geggam]

Looking at the current infrastructure and the current investment in said infrastructure. I think it’s a safe bet to go out 30 years or more before self driving cars are the norm.

In cities sure. Rural areas not happening. Add the fact people like to drive to Mexico Canada and Alaska I’d call it a non starter.

Example. I have a place where the road on google maps and the place people drive vary because rural Arizona uses washes as roads. Cars driven by humans get stuck.

[samatman]

A lot hinges on whether one considers level 4 or level 5 to be "self-driving".

I wouldn't want to own a car without a steering wheel, sometimes you have to do weird stuff like park on a specific patch of grass at a rural wedding and it's going to be easier to do that myself than try and convince a robot.

But a car that can a) handle 'most' driving for some value of 'most' and can b) safely hand over or come to a stop under basically all circumstances including a sleeping driver? That's actually a much simpler task and it's a very useful vehicle. I would want one of those even if I lived somewhere where road conditions were such that I had to steer it myself on a daily basis.

Like in Arizona, once you got to paved road you could enter an address in Phoenix and kick back in actual safety, without having to worry about taking over at a moment's notice. I think that's achievable in 10-20 years, and it could be less.

[TeMPOraL]

People have to go through 30+ hours of hands-on training, and an exam, before they're allowed to use a car on their own.

It's not just about putting the mask on; it's also about ensuring they swap them out regularly and don't self-infect in the process.

[dmos62]

> some people drive them into trees

I wouldn't say it's a certain type of people ("some people" vs. "sometimes people"). You could argue for it, though seems like a hard argument to push.

Cars are inherently dangerous, because there isn't a reasonable guarantee that something will not go critically wrong (as opposed to, say, a train). Also, when driving a car, you're not only betting that you won't make a mistake, but also that someone else won't make a mistake (that would affect you).

[soperj]

I agree, but there are definitely people out there that shouldn't be driving that are.

[smoyer]

Are you implying that Tiger Woods wouldn't put his mask on correctly?

[nimbius]

Occupationally I'm a diesel mechanic,so I suppose I could be lumped into the non occupational rocket scientist category. Im learning python.

Yes, we wear n95, but we also get OSHA/niosh specific training on fitment, changing, PPE exposure limit, and appropriate environments. You do not. What people are hoping is that an industrial particulate mask is going to somehow prevent the flu or corona, which honestly I have never understood. Wearing a mask while pressure cleaning a paccar12 engine? Yes, you don't want fine grease mist in your lungs. Powder coating something? Better mask up. Wearing it for a fire? Yes, but change it out once or twice a day and check it often. The flu? How?

[rustyminnow]

I used to be a residential painter. AIUI (and I could be wrong here) biological and water-based molecules are larger than other chemical molecules so can be stopped by the particulate mask. This is why you can wear a dust-cup when spraying with acrylic (water-based), but need a respirator for oil or lacquer-based paint. TBH I'd expect the n95 to work better for infection than a surgical mask because you can get a better seal to your face

[decebalus1]

> I'm not sure I would call them impractical for everyday wear. I wear N95 masks when commuting during active wildfires.

Right on. For the past couple of years, because the Seattle summers have been hazy due to the wildfire smoke, I still have quite a large batch of N95 masks. I too used to wear them during my commute and the only problem I see is that if you're at risk (underlying respiratory/heart problems) you'll not be able to tolerate the mask... With a good fitment, it makes it harder to breathe.

I think it's unfair to label people hoarders for having these masks... After a couple of consecutive years of wildfire smoke, I think this is the new normal and everyone should have them. It's not my problem that the healthcare industry has a supply issue with these masks, they should have a different, hopefully more efficient and preferential supply chain. I hope they don't buy them from Home Depot (where I got them from).

[OJFord]

I was under the impression that there isn't (yet? But not even close to) a supply issue for the healthcare sector, but rather only at retail, due to a combination of increased demand and supply switching over to for-healthcare-only mode.

This will be something that's routine, just following the plan, that exists to serve some combination of regulation, duty, and risk (burning important healthcare customer or government relationship) mitigation.

[usrusr]

Not yet, because outside of active infection hotspots healthcare workers don't yet use significantly more masks than usual.

[OJFord]

use of course, but they're still stocking up. Despite that I don't believe it's an issue. It's just prioritising supply.

[droithomme]

Here's how to put them on and take them off properly, courtesy of Singapore General Hospital:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoxpvDVo_NI

[mirthflat83]

Mask fit testing isn’t really about whether you feel like it’s fitting or not but if you have the money I don’t see a reason not to wear the N95

[op00to]

The reason is that we need the N95 to keep our healthcare workers from getting infected and letting the rest of us die.