Wearing masks for hours on end has led some people to worry about whether N95 masks deprive us of oxygen. Scientists have actually made people wear N95 masks and measured their blood oxygen. So we have a solid answer to this question, and it’s not what this question assumes. This question itself doesn’t ask IF […]
Tag: mask
What’s the Difference Between N95 and P2 Masks?
The difference between N95 and P2 masks is so small that most users will not notice anything amiss. The P2 rating is the standard in Australia and New Zealand similar to the US N95 mask rating. Difference Between N95 and P2 Masks: Charted Out N95 and P2 masks look almost identical, and they filter […]
Are Polypropylene Bags Effective as DIY Face Masks for COVID-19?
In the rush to make homemade masks, many people are wondering whether non-woven polypropylene bags are effective at filtering viruses. These bags are incredibly popular in places like Asia and Africa, where they are a common alternative to flimsy plastic shopping bags. Why Non-Woven Polypropylene Bags Make Great Homemade Masks These shopping bags […]
How Dental Clinics Can Protect Against COVID-19
Dental clinics may be high-risk places for COVID-19 infection. During a dental operation or surgery, patients must remove their mask, and airborne particles and aerosols post a risk of contamination and infection. This article covers masks and air purifiers as possible means of reducing virus transmission for dentists and dental clinic workers. The […]
Half of Chinese N95 Masks Fail Quality Checks
Tests of masks marketed as N95 from 21 manufacturers show that half of Chinese N95 masks fail quality tests–with some masks filtering no better than a cotton cloth. These tests come at a time that many countries around the world are scrambling for masks and other PPE. Factories Spring Up to Meet Mask Demand […]
How to Find Reliable N95 Mask Suppliers
After testing 31 masks from 19 suppliers in China, we discovered that almost half of the masks were not meeting the N95 standards for filtering particles. What’s more, out of the 17 masks that did meet the N95 standard, most of these broke when we tried some simple structural tests. Many people are currently looking […]
Can HEPA Filters Be Used to Make DIY Face Masks?
News media like The New York Times and Today have been talking about using HEPA filters as a material to make DIY face masks. There are even YouTube videos showing how to DIY a mask out of a HEPA filter. But just how well can HEPA filters capture virus-sized particles, and can HEPA […]
What Are N95 Masks Made From?
N95 masks made from synthetic plastic fibers are most common. These plastic fibers are similar to the fibers in synthetic and polyester shirts many people wear. N95 Masks Made From Synthetic Plastic For example, let’s take the 3M 9332 masks that I wear in Beijing. Technically this is an N99 (FFP3) mask, but the idea is […]
Can Masks Filter Pollen and Prevent Hay Fever?
Every year, spring’s blossoms bring with them wave of pollen. For places like Beijing, it’s also the start of the ‘snowy season’, with the hundreds of willow trees producing their fluffy catkin friends and the sniffles that follow. But how can we avoid the uncomfortable coughing and sneezing? Which masks work best for protecting us […]
Sanitizing Masks With Alcohol Degrades Performance
With mask shortages during the coronavirus outbreak, some doctors are sanitizing masks with alcohol so they can re-use them. But this raises questions about whether alcohol actually works and whether it degrades the masks. Does Alcohol Kill Viruses? The research on alcohol is clear. Alcohol kills viruses. Technically, viruses aren’t alive, so scientists focus on […]
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