| 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 |
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.