I’ve been using either KN95 or N95 masks since the first time I was able to buy the KN95. I believe in the power of masks to greatly improve our statistics.
But I sometimes notice businesses put up signs requiring masks and requiring that they be cloth in particular. Since cloth masks don’t offer much protection, I used to put a cloth mask over the N95, figuring they couldn’t complain about that, but eventually decided that was stupid. Now I just go with the N95 no matter what they say. And, indeed, nobody has complained.
Seeing news today about how we should probably get rid of all our cloth masks in favor of KN95 or N95, because cloth doesn’t offer as much protection, I just got to wondering – why the love for cloth? Why not accept N95?
Was it an old sign? As masks became more and more important we learned a lot very quickly so rules and policies were changed. It’s entirely possible the sign was made when cloth masks were either considered the best protection and/or they didn’t want people using masks with vents that are meant to protect the wearer instead of everyone else.
^ I’m going with this. There’s still a very old sign on the front door to our office warning people to stay home if they’ve recently visited the Wuhan province. I might just tear it down myself.
I haven’t seen this either. My first thought is haters thumbing their nose at state mandates. Knowing cloth masks are less effective than the medical ones.
I can see businesses that cater to anti-maskers, but are required to have everyone mask up, post this to allow bandanas and the like while thumbing their collective noses at those of use with common sense.
Early on, there were anti=maskers who tried to go out in public wearing either Halloween rubber/plastic masks, or knitted ski masks, which were useless at preventing the spread of the virus, but allowed these fools to claim that they were meeting the businesses mask requirement.
At a local Walgreens, the managers instructions were “Don’t spend time arguing with them, with them breathing & yelling in your face. Just ignore it, stay as far away from them as you can, serve them and get them out of the store quickly.”
Another chimer inner saying that some assholes used all sort of inventive ways of getting around wearing any sort of effective mask by purposely wearing a mask that could not help slow the spread on purpose to make a point. I would not expect anyone to bother you with a 94/95 type mask in that respect.
Here in Germany a lot of businesses insist that it should be FFP2. There is also some regulation that you must be wearing an FFP2 in order to be able to board the public transportation vehicles. The rationality is that it protects you and others more.
That makes sense. That’s the EU designation comparable to the US N95, and those really do with better than most of the alternatives.
My temple’s soup kitchen requires you to wear at least a multi-layer cloth mask that fits well, but in practice, everyone working there is wearing a surgical mask or ~N95 (n95, kn95, kf94)