Which Masks Are Safest? | Best Face Masks for Omicron 2022

In a January 14 update to its mask guidance page, the CDC recommends the use of N95 or KN95 respirators over surgical masks or homemade cloth masks. The change comes amid a continuing surge of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. Source: Which Masks Are Safest? | Best Face Masks for Omicron 2022

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Risk of Protection Failure with Certain O&M Halyard Surgical N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, and Pediatric Face Masks: FDA Safety Communication | FDA

Date Issued: April 12, 2023 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending consumers, health care providers, and facilities to not use certain surgical N95 respirators manufactured by O&M Halyard, and to use caution with certain surgical masks and pediatric face masks manufactured by O&M Halyard. The FDA is aware of laboratory test results that show certain models of O&M Halyard surgical N95 respirators, surgical masks, and pediatric face masks do not meet qualityContinue…

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How Clean Is the Air on Planes? | Condé Nast Traveler

It’s that time of year again, when travel—or any indoor activity, really—comes with concerns of catching the flu. The combination of the annual surge of influenza activity with still-lingering COVID strains is enough to make even savvy travelers worried about stepping into a crowded airport or boarding a plane.One of the paramount issues is determining if the air on planes hastens the spread of infection. But apprehensions about aircraft cabin air long predate COVID orContinue…

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Filtration Efficiency of Hospital Face Mask Alternatives Available for Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Infectious Diseases | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network

Question: How effective are the aerosol filtration efficiencies for fitted face mask alternatives used during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic? Findings: In this quality-improvement study of 29 fitted face mask alternatives, expired N95 respirators with intact elastic bands and masks that had been subjected to ethylene oxide and hydrogen peroxide sterilization had unchanged fitted filtration efficiencies (FFEs) of more than 95%, while the performance of N95 respirators in the wrong size resulted in decreased FFEsContinue…

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Why You will be Forced to Always Wear Masks in Japan – YouTube

Why You will be Forced to Always Wear Masks in Japan

This year is again a very hot summer in Japan! But if you walk on the streets of Japan, you will see something very surprising. Almost everyone has masks on. It is hot here in Israel too, and I find that on really hot days, wearing a mask with an absorbent liner is more comfortable. The air has dust and the mask absorbs sweat and helps against the dust and sand in the air. SometimesContinue…

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Found! PM2.5 Replacement Filter Activated Carbon Adhesive Tape Backing Adult Child | eBay

Finally found some mask filters with adhesive backing! I’m still trying to find some locally accessible to me, but those of you in the States can get these already. Each filter has a 4-point adhesive to attach to your mask (mask is not included). Source: PM2.5 Replacement Filter Activated Carbon Adhesive Tape Backing Adult Child | eBay

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Facial Tissue As A Mask Filter?

In an article in The Strategist, the author referred to Dr. Yi Cui proposing facial tissues (specifically Kleenex, but not sure if this is because of sponsorship $ or the brand is better than others) as added filters in cloth masks. You may not think the humble tissue would do much against a pandemic virus, but Stanford materials science and engineering professor Yi Cui, who co-authored a study on the best household materials for faceContinue…

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