[leptons]

>Rather they are designed to prevent you making others sick.

Except N95 masks weren't designed for that at all. N95s and better masks have been worn for decades to protect the wearer from all kinds of airborne problems, from dust to virus particles. They have proven quite effective at that task. But maybe you think all those workers in the Ebola ward are just wearing masks as a fashion statement?

Masks do prevent the wearer from getting sick, far more than wearing no mask at all. Is it 100% protection? No, but nobody should be complaining about that. I'll take 95% protection or even 50% protection over no protection at all.

[Animats]

Right. The classic "3M 8210 Plus N95 Performance Sanding And Fiberglass Disposable Respirator (20-Pack)" sells for about $1 in boxes of 20 at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. That's a good mask.

Wearing one properly isn't rocket science, but is non-obvious. There's an instruction sheet in the box. You put it on, and then, using your palms, squeeze the part over your nose, which bends the mask and the metal stiffener. Check that you got it right by exhaling, then take a deep breath and feel the edges of the mask pushing against your face. If you don't feel the mask pushing, you did it wrong. Training video from OSHA: [1]

There's a serial number on the box. If you type it into 3M's web site, they will tell you if it's valid and if anyone ever queried that number before. This protects against counterfeit masks. Once you get an OK from the site, initial the box, so you don't ask the site again.

There's also a test kit you can buy, with a little bottle of a strong-smelling substance. If you can smell it with the mask on, you did it wrong.

The way these things work is subtle. There's an inner layer that's an electret, with a permanent electric field. Particles smaller than the mask mesh are caught and held by the electric charge. That's what makes these work against really small particles. They're actually more effective as particles get smaller. The "95%" is for the particle size for which they are least effective.

I've been wearing those since the beginning of COVID and never got COVID. I had a supply of those, because I used to use a water jet cutter at TechShop. This is all ordinary personal protective equipment, familiar to anyone who works around moderately dangerous industrial processes.

[1] https://youtu.be/pGXiUyAoEd8?t=149

[leptons]

Thanks for this detailed reply, TIL!

I've been wearing the 3M 8210 N95 masks when indoors with other people and I have avoided getting sick at all for 4.5 years. Before covid lockdowns, I would get sick at least 5 times a year and the only thing that changed was wearing the mask when in higher risk situations.

[wordofx]

Sure. Masks help the wearer. But the main purpose is to stop sick people spreading. And it’s more effective at preventing spread than preventing contraction.

[leptons]

>Masks help the wearer.

Yes, they do.

> But the main purpose is to stop sick people spreading.

No, the main purpose of an N95 mask is definitely to protect the wearer first and foremost. It's why they were created and sold in the first place. These masks were intended to protect people from all manner of workplace environmental hazards, and they've been used for that for decades.

>And it’s more effective at preventing spread than preventing contraction.

Citation needed.

Also, many people purposely choose not to wear a mask during a pandemic, so a mask not worn is not protecting anyone. Protecting myself from people without masks is 100% the purpose of wearing an N95 mask. We aren't talking about cloth masks in this thread, this study was about N95 masks - the two are different in that a cloth mask protects others more than it protects the wearer, but an N95 mask will protect the wearer more than others (who may not be wearing any mask).

[wordofx]

I haven’t even mentioned N95 masks. I’ve stated masks as a general thing. Surgical masks that are cheap and readily available are to prevent the spread of anything.

N95 masks to prevent you getting covid don’t help anymore than surgical when we know it was be contracted through skin and eyes etc.

If you’re wearing it in a workshop or some dusty place then obviously they are far superior to surgical masks as they are designed for the wearer.

And obviously wearing an N95 when you’re sick is more helpful than a surgical mask as they are much better fitting and don’t let as much through if you sneeze of cough.

[leptons]

>I haven’t even mentioned N95 masks.

This entire thread is about N95 masks.

>when we know it was be contracted through skin

Citation needed (you still didn't provide the previous citation I requested)

Yes, it can be contracted through eyes, so eye protection is another mitigation that helps. When I had to travel in 2021, we wore eye protection on the plane, as well as P100 masks. We were well protected and did not get sick.

>If you’re wearing it in a workshop or some dusty place then obviously they are far superior to surgical masks as they are designed for the wearer.

Guess what they wear in Ebola wards. Guess why they wear them.