Masks Selling Out

There's a news story that surgical masks are selling out across the US as people prepare for a feared incursion by the Chinese coronavirus.  I'm not sure how helpful a mask really is in preventing transmission -- perhaps it does more to prevent you from infecting someone else than otherwise.

Still, surgical masks aren't your only option. You can also hit the hardware store. N-type masks are supposedly good against at least some biologicals, I don't know how well it works against this particular virus, of course, but if you're concerned and you can't get a surgical mask, try one that's made for particle filtration.

4 comments:

Ymar Sakar said...

Oh come on america. 3m 7500 respirator. Syrvivalists, ya ll did not market sell that!!

Ymar Sakar said...

Early this month, i was around smokers. Limited fresh air. I got the feeling my hs was telling me i needed an air filter system fir something. No idea what so i looked around. Now i can use it well and got xp.

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douglas said...

N95 masks should be fine. It filters out almost all particulate, which would include droplets (which is the concern, so far as we know).

Someone mentioned this a day or two ago, and I checked amazon, and prices had spiked, so it may be a little late already. I picked up a box from Home Depot Sunday- they even had them out on a table in front, because they knew folks were looking for them.

I don't think I'll be needing them (and I took the train home today, without a mask), but it's very cheap insurance, and I needed one anyone because I had to grind something with a dremel tool, so lots of suspended dust particles.

MikeD said...

As douglas points out, the mask doesn't need to filter something as small as a virus out of the air, just the particulates the virus rides on. Surgical masks operate on that premise and are remarkably effective because of it.