mask survey

[mindstalk]

So, in this season of tripledemic disease and canceled surgeries, what masks are y'all wearing?

Since I'm back in the US, I've upgraded my shopping mask from tightened KF94 to 3M 95s, mostly Aura but sometimes Vflex from a friend. Been trying DIY qualitative fit tests as well, to assure myself of good fit.

Comments

[brin_bellway]

For shopping and work, I have continued wearing my beloved 3M 7502 P100. I've upgraded to water-resistant filters, so that I don't have to worry about rain/snow/dishwashing-spray anymore.

(Lately I've had the cloth valve cover off, given that I've been surrounded by maskless people anyway so it wasn't like I was contributing much marginal danger to the airspace (and an uncovered valve is better at keeping up with the higher airflow needs of exertion: without the valve cover I can jog to work if I'm running late), but I've started to notice occasional droplets of water landing on me seemingly from nowhere and I think it might be breath condensation dripping out of the valve. Kind of freaky at best, and probably not very sanitary for a food worker. I think I'll tape the cloth back on. (I tried taping a piece of KF94 material instead, but that can't even keep up with non-exertion airflow needs, not when it's all concentrated into the space of a valve.))

For things involving long non-scripted conversations--social gatherings, in-person job interviews, coaxing the incompetents at the bank into giving my parents American-domiciled bank accounts (still didn't fucking work in the end, BTW)--Good Manner size small KF94s with paper medical tape around the edges to seal them shut.

[mtbc]

Still using N95s and FFP2s (seem indistinguishable to me) with straps running around the back of my head, feel snugger. Of late, I stopped bothering with the safety goggles.