[spqr0a1]

It boggles my mind that the general public, media, and even healthcare workers treat N95 mask as if they are as good as it gets. Industry routinely uses elastomeric half- and full-face respirators with P100 filters, and they have been easy to find in stock again since August 2020.

P100 is a comparable grade to HEPA, both 99.97%. Respirators are more comfortable and seal well easier than purely fabric masks, they don't pull on your ears, they don't fog glasses, it's just silicone making contact with your skin instead of gross wet fabric so they are much more comfortable. They are also much more effective for smoke and pollen.

I wear a 3M model 7502 face piece with model 7093 filters.

[david38]

The reason is obvious. We don’t want a massive run on P100s. Some applications absolutely need them and a run would wipe them out.

Remember when the feds were confiscating the current masks in transit? You can’t just overnight increase the production of these things.

[JohnTHaller]

Does that model have an unfiltered exhalation valve? That would make it useless to protect others, which is a big point of masks.

[hedgehog]

You can cover the exhaust with filter material, that's what I did.

[tomjen3]

The one I have does not filter the exhalation, but I seem to remember that the goal of masks were to stop the spread and this one does.

[JohnTHaller]

If it doesn't filter the exhale, you're spreading to others. Especially if you're asymptomatic. That's one reason why many places (correctly) forbid masks with valves.

[seanmcdirmid]

> That's one reason why many places (correctly) forbid masks with valves.

No wrong. The CDC has written guidelines here in favor of exhalation valves on N95 masks (which are filtered), the guidelines specifically recommend against not forbidding such masks if they are NIOSH-approved N95 ones:

from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/respirator-use...

My N95 filtering facepiece respirator has an exhalation valve. Is that ok? Will it protect both me and others?

Yes, an N95 filtering facepiece respirator will protect you and provide source control to protect others. A NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator with an exhalation valve offers the same protection to the wearer as one that does not have a valve. As source control, findings from NIOSH research suggest that, even without covering the valve, N95 respirators with exhalation valves provide the same or better source control than surgical masks, procedure masks, cloth masks, or fabric coverings. In general, individuals wearing NIOSH-approved N95s with an exhalation valve should not be asked to use one without an exhalation valve or to cover it with a face covering or mask. However, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators with an exhalation valve are not fluid resistant. Therefore, in situations where a fluid resistant respirator is indicated (e.g., in surgical settings), individuals should wear a surgical N95 or, if a surgical N95 is not available, cover their respirator with a surgical mask or a face shield. Be careful not to compromise the fit of the respirator when placing a facemask over the respirator.

[end quote]

Many countries will require N95 masks (many of which have valves, so that is acceptable). So on a plane from Amsterdam to Beijing, you might have to switch masks during the flight (because the Dutch, for reasons, don't allow valves in favor of less effective cloth/surgical masks, while the Chinese...for reasons, require N95 masks that might have valves).

[JohnTHaller]

I am indeed wrong. Thanks for the details and the link. I hadn't checked in on the valve recommendations since early in the pandemic. I'd edit my above if I could.

[hedgehog]

In practice many N95s filter over 99% of particles including around the important sizes for COVID. I think of them like drinking coffee from a paper disposable cup: convenient in many ways but more expensive over time and a crappier experience than ceramic. Lots of people will do it.

I do however use a 7502 with 2297 filters for high exposure and GVS Elipse for medium exposure like grocery store.

[phnofive]

How is the nuisance odor filtering with the 7093?

I use the 60923 for this purpose, but it's a bit loud in appearance.