Summer/September Surge Continues
The amount of virus in circulation continues to be high, and is leveling off in most of the country, ready for a decline. However, here in New Hampshire, a couple of college towns have had huge peaks, which I attribute to the return of the students.
A Multitude of Masks
In addition to good fresh air ventilation and selective at-home testing, masks are among the best tools we have available for reducing your risk of getting covid-19, and for reducing the spread of the disease. Here is our annual roundup of masks for many different purposes. It’s mostly a repeat of the Oct. 19, 2023 post with one new addition at the end.
Easy-to-breathe, 100% effective fan/HEPA filter mask. We have been using these since April 2021, the "BROAD AirPro Mask Rechargeable Reusable Air Purifying Respirator with a HEPA Filter”, from Amazon ($46) and other sellers. The HEPA filter is 99.97% effective for virus-sized particles, and the fan slightly pressurizes the mask, giving you a much higher percentage of cool, fresh air compared to regular N95 or N100 masks. Really a breath of fresh air! Replacement HEPA filters, rechargeable batteries, etc. are readily available.
Another nice feature about this system is that you can pair the fan/filter mechanism with any N95 mask of your choice. (You can use any mask really, but the N95 works best for us — our current favorite is the Kimberly-Clark PROFESSIONAL N95 Pouch Respirator (53358), NIOSH-Approved, Made in U.S.A., from Amazon or others.)
In the blog posts, we have talked about these Airpro masks several times over the years. Our Jan. 4, 2022 blog post includes helpful information with four videos sharing information on the Airpro mask, how to sterilize masks, as well as how to modify an N95 mask to fit the Airpro hose.
Masks with Exhalation Valves. If you are not contagious, you can use this type of mask without endangering those around you. These masks are a simpler version of the Airpro mask in that they give you a higher percentage of cool, fresh air — better quality air to breathe and less of your own exhaled air. They are also your best protection if you have to be out in the smoke-filled air from wildfires or locally-generated dust.
The best models are “N100” masks, tested to be 100% effective. I tried out one of these (3M Personal Protective Equipment Particulate Respirator 8233, Amazon, $10/mask) and found it to be serious, well-made, and readily adjustable for a good fit. Breathing was no more annoying than with N95 masks.
“N95” masks with valves: many models of these are available — it’s best to find one by trial-and-error that fits you well.
A good fit around all the edges is essential for any mask. (Not so much for the Airpro, where a little air leaking out is normal.) If you exhale, and feel air leaking out, perhaps blowing toward your eyes, then there also will be unfiltered air leaking in when you breathe in. Try bending the nose area of the mask. If you can’t get a good fit, you may need to select another brand.
Hot air mask sterilization and reuse. There was a study done in August 2020 at the University of Illinois which documented how to sterilize your disposable masks, rather than throwing them away after each use (https://hmntl.illinois.edu/news/17342). We have a video demonstrating this — all it takes is a standard crockpot set on “Low”! See Sterilizing Masks video.
Note that sterilizing the Airpro mask is not so important since the incoming virus is trapped in the HEPA filter, not in the mask. Do not put the fan-filter unit in your crockpot — this would reduce the lifetime of the lithium battery.
An almost-invisible mask. We have tried a few other “nose masks” over the years without success but here is one that appears to actually work, and we have found it is tolerable to wear. Search for "Nose Mask Nose Air Clean” — currently $18 for a package of three, on Amazon. They are rated at 70% effective for PM2.5 particles, which is the size that includes wildfire smoke and the covid-19 virus. This effectiveness is probably better than the real-world effectiveness of regular N95/KN95 masks, which are hard to get to fit perfectly. Get the “general type”, and pick one of several sizes available. After use, you can sterilize it in a crockpot as described above. It's small enough to carry in a keyring pill capsule, so you can always have it with you when the need arises. Replacement filter elements are available. And as you can see from the promotional picture below, using this mask also makes you happy!
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