Some Covid masks are better than others. I know - I'm the Mask Nerd

[luv2fly]

Some Covid masks are better than others. I know – I’m the Mask Nerd
Aaron Collins
Cloth or surgical masks just don’t cut it – respirators are far more effective, and they’re comfortable too

Aaron Collins is a engineer who tests and reviews masks
Mon 27 Dec 2021 09.00 EST

As a mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science, I often wondered why months into the pandemic we were still using cloth masks. People used similar coverings during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1919, more than 100 years ago. I knew better mask technology existed, and people needed to know about it.

So I embarked on a year-long mission to test, document, and review the best masks I could find. This eventually entailed building a mini aerosol laboratory in my bathroom, with scientific instruments capable of measuring particles 1/50,000th the width of a human hair. I have a public database for my results. And a Youtube channel. Over time I began to be known as the Mask Nerd

With the Omicron variant spreading around the world, the most common question I get is still the most basic: what kind of mask should I be wearing?

If possible, not a cloth or surgical one. These masks are moderately effective at capturing particles coming out of your own mouth – what we engineering nerds call “source control”. But they offer little protection against incoming particles. We call this part – how well the mask protects the wearer – respiratory protection.

More at:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/27/best-masks-covid-tests-cloth-surgical-respirators

[wyn borkins]

1. A Request

I am interested in your final results and suggestions (for masks or respirators). However, as I cannot view your linked website, might you kindly detail the top five (or so) masks or respirators that you find effective. Thank you for your consideration.

[luv2fly]

2. I'm not sure why you can't see the link?

It's at the Guardian and there is no paywall.

Maybe the most informative paragraph in the article is what follows...

In the US, the common NIOSH N95 is a great option, but it is limited to headbands only. Ear-loop masks are available via other international respirator standards, such as the KF94 (in South Korea) or KN95 (China). However it should be noted that the KN95 is a self-reported test standard, and lacks strict government regulation by China, resulting in many underperforming and often flat-out fake masks. The KF94 is less affected by this, as it is regulated by the Korean equivalent of the FDA.

Hope that helps!

[Ms. Toad]

4. One he recommends (which I am currently using)

Is the BOTN KF94. His tests put it at around 98% efficiency (degrading to around 85% after 30 hours).

The KF94 masks are less prone to being fakes (a common problem with N95 and K95 masks). It apparently has to do with the certification process being controlled by the government rather than self-certified.

I've placed 3 orders from 3 different vendors - packaging and masks are identical across vendors. The shape is like the origami/3D masks many home seamstresses were making (me, included). They are easier to breathe through than my cloth masks - I believe it is because they rely on electrostatic filtering more heavily than gaps in "weave."

[Ms. Toad]

3. He's generally a good resource.

He has tested many of the N95/K95/KN94 masks - and I used his tests coupled with other advice to buy the masks I'm wearing now. I trust him on the masks he has tested.

BUT - he has NOT tested specific cloth masks - and is wrong when he caps their efficiency at 60%. People who have tested 2-layer cloth masks with a 600 TPI thread count have established that they are as good (when new) as N95 masks at protecting the wearer from incoming particles.

Two-layer cotton masks with 600 TPI are equivalent to N95 masks at all particle sizes. Row 2 in the chart v. row 10.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7185834/#tbl1

Link to entire article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7185834/

Cloth masks degrade over time (that's the fuzz you scrape off the lint screen in your dryer - creating larger holes as microfibers are washed off with each cleaning) - but N95 masks also degrade significantly when worn repeatedly.

As I noted - I'm switching, temporarily at least, to KN94 masks because of omicron. I don't know the thread count on my current masks, but it is probably lower than 600 TPI - and all are well-worn and I don't have time to make more at the moment.

BUT - if what you can afford is a two-layer mask made from 600 TPI cotton that fits well, or a 3-layer mask with one layer being something other than cotton, your protection is equivalent to the disposable N95 masks, especially when they are worn more than 30 hours total.

[nilram]

5. Project N95

Just sent this link to family. N95s are no longer as rare as they used to be. This is a good source.

https://shop.projectn95.org/