First and foremost, this article is not a debate on whether or not you should wear a mask. It is a discussion on the different kinds of mask. I’m discussing this article from my experience as an Infection Prevention Nurse.

Is one mask better than another?

Have you noticed all the ads about one mask being better than the others? One has zinc in it. Another has copper woven in. Yet, another has a vent so your glasses won’t fog up.

Let’s talk about the N95 mask. It’s used in the medical field, so it has to be better. Not really. Not for the general public. It can is used for care of patients with tuberculosis, varicella, and measles, other infectious diseases where use of an N95 respirator or higher is recommended. When practicing extended use of N95 respirators, the maximum recommended extended use period is 8–12 hours

N95 has to be fitted to your face. It’s quite a process to fit one properly. One size certainly does not fit all. It takes about 15 minutes to properly fit the N95.

It is not used for general purposes in the medical field and hospital.

N95 Respirators Not for Use by the General Public

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend that the general public wear N95 respirators to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including coronavirus (COVID-19). Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for health care workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

• They are tested for fluid resistance, filtration efficiency (particulate filtration efficiency and bacterial filtration efficiency), flammability and biocompatibility.
• They should not be shared or reused.

General N95 Respirator Precautions

• People with chronic respiratory, cardiac, or other medical conditions that make breathing difficult should check with their health care provider before using an N95 respirator because the N95 respirator can make it more difficult for the wearer to breathe.
• Some models have exhalation valves that can make breathing out easier and help reduce heat build-up. Note that N95 respirators with exhalation valves should not be used when sterile conditions are needed.
• All FDA-cleared N95 respirators are labeled as “single-use,” disposable devices. If your respirator is damaged or soiled, or if breathing becomes difficult, you should remove the respirator, discard it properly, and replace it with a new one. To safely discard your N95 respirator, place it in a plastic bag and put it in the trash. Wash your hands after handling the used respirator.
• N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. Because a proper fit cannot be achieved on children and people with facial hair, the N95 respirator may not provide full protection.

Surgical mask: Sometimes called a medical mask, it protects people from the wearer’s respiratory emissions. But it’s designed to protect against large droplets, splashes or sprays of bodily fluid or other type of fluid. Surgical masks are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Cloth mask: A dual-layered cloth mask is sufficient to protect people in public settings. It’s unlikely you’ll be infected in public by airborne viral particles. The real threat is touching an infected surface and then putting your hand to your face: Frequent hand-washing is a sure way to avoid COVID-19 or any virus and bacterial infection.

Mask with valves: In a healthcare setting, however, these masks are unacceptable.

They should not be used, says the CDC, “where a sterile field must be maintained (e.g., during an invasive procedure in an operating or procedure room) because the exhalation valve allows unfiltered exhaled air to escape into the sterile field.”

Valved masks are advertised frequently online and often look both functional and fashionable. The buyer, meanwhile, probably doesn’t know they defeat the intended purpose — to protect other people.

These mask are designed for work in shops such as wood working or if fumes are involved in a project like stripping paint from wood.

Waste of money

Do not waste your money on the gimmicks in advertising mask. Once the cloth mask is washed, whatever product such as zinc is gone. There are no real studies to support mask with zinc or copper.

Interesting observation

I live near a state funded garden called Garven Woodland Gardens. The other day I decided to take advantage of the good weather and go for a walk. While I was waiting my turn to show my membership card, I noticed a young woman in front of me with two small children. She was wearing a mask, however, her children were not. It struck me as being interesting, she was concerned about wearing a mask for herself, but not for her children.

I’m not going to address the topic of children wearing mask in this article. My point is, if you’re concerned about going into public without a mask, why would you take your children in public without a mask?

Conclusion

My observation with the general public wearing mask is that it’s a waste of time and money. How can you say that?!!! I say this because people in general do not wear their mask properly. So why bother?

The mask are not effective when one has facial hair, such as a beard. I see numerous people wearing the mask without covering their nose. There are gaps all around the mask and face. Ill fitting mask don’t do much to protect anyone. Oh and the one I like the best, is the mask below the chin, not covering anything.

People often wear a mask to appear that they are following guidelines. Listening to people talk, I have come to the conclusion, that they are not convinced that a mask is really needed in this situation. I applaud people who research and think for themselves. But, I shall not add that topic to this discussion.

So, now you have the information about mask. Use the information as you see fit.

We’re hard wired to believe it’s kind of hard to trust someone wearing a mask. Maybe that’s why there are so many cranky people out in public these days. Look at the eyes in this photo. Can you tell if these people are happy or not?