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New post:
https://www.harihareswara.net/posts/2023/my-current-covid-risk-approach/
I follow 4 main principles to reduce my risk of catching #COVID:
1. Avoiding sharing unfiltered air with people outside my household
2. Noticing how safe I am & raising precautions accordingly
3. Focusing on protecting myself over protecting unmasked people (in general)
4. Spending money
I detail those principles + my specific protocols (#masking, #ventilation, self-#testing, &c.), with links to product vendors.
My new post Includes:
* Air quality & ventilation: Specifics on the Aranet 4 carbon dioxide monitor, including a coupon.
* Masking: Some N95, N99, & P100 respirators you may not have heard of, with links to purchase. And: when/where I'm willing to wear a valved mask.
* Self-testing (antigen + NAAT/molecular): Links to some amazing sale prices on rapid #COVID tests, including more-accurate molecular tests.
Plus a nasal spray and a new #covid19 wastewater data site.
https://www.harihareswara.net/posts/2023/my-current-covid-risk-approach/
@brainwane love this blog post, it’s so sensible and so well presented.
Detail question: did you find a transparent mask with actual legit filtration? I spent a while researching them and they all had sketchy or no claims about effectiveness as a mask; wish I knew a good one!
@0x09 @brainwane Thank you for this excellent post, Sumana! So many links to explore!.
I have the same question as Tabby. I read over the Jelli test results linked from their FAQ, but I don't know that I know enough to be positive that this is enough filtration for me to use in teaching, which I would love to do to benefit students who read lips.
@hydropsyche @0x09 Great question! And, looking back at my notes, I need to revise and downgrade my recommendation of the Jelli M1 as it's more akin to a surgical mask.
Jelli links to assessment results at https://docsend.com/view/2zwv367nrufpegk6 and I asked an expert friend to review them. She said:
"... the filtration went down by one third after exposure to humidity.
This seems like a lot but those results might be in line with other masks, I'm not sure."
[1/3]
"They seem to be testing to the surgical mask standard as opposed to the n95 standard which isn't really a problem (since that's also what they say in their faq) they're just setting a low bar for themselves bc you only need 80% efficiency not 95% & you don't have to test for leakage."
[2/3]
"No real red flags that I can see from the report so that's good. The only thing I'd be concerned about is air leakage outside of the filter material & whether there's multiple layers of filter material with one acting as a humidity/particle protector (which is how surgical masks are constructed)."
[3/3]
@brainwane @0x09 Thanks! This is helpful. For now, I'll probably just stick with my beloved 3M Aura N95s, but if I have a student who identifies to me as needing accommodations around lip reading, this is a great option.
@brainwane @hydropsyche +1 thank you, these sound really legit (for their use-case)
@0x09 @hydropsyche I got a partial rec from @jducoeur for https://optrel.us/product/p-air-clear-n95-masks-20-pack/ -- Justin, could I ask you to elaborate on that?
@brainwane @0x09 @hydropsyche Yeah, I've been using these fairly often for about six months.
Not the biggest clear panel, but pretty good. Breathability is surprisingly decent, and I find them pretty comfortable for all-day use. Some fogging (and a tendency for the bottom edge to get damp after a while if so), but not enough that I've found it a problem.
Disposable, which is a mixed blessing; price isn't too bad for N95.
I like 'em, and would recommend trying them out.
@jducoeur @hydropsyche @brainwane these look really legit, thank you!
@0x09 @jducoeur @hydropsyche via https://ask.metafilter.com/373641/Whats-the-latest-in-face-masks-to-avoid-COVID-19 I learned of https://www.drive.hhs.gov/mask-innovation-challange.html today, and the finalists include a few different transparent masks.
@brainwane Thank you for this! I especially appreciate the thoughts about whether or not to try to protect the greater public when they clearly aren't trying to protect themselves.
@Eraserbones Thank you.
I just updated the mask section https://www.harihareswara.net/posts/2023/my-current-covid-risk-approach/#masking - a reader pointed me to this NIOSH study: "Filtering Facepiece Respirators with an Exhalation Valve" https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2021-107/default.html :
"FFRs with an exhalation valve provide respiratory protection to the wearer and can also reduce particle emissions to levels similar to or better than those provided by surgical masks, procedure masks, or cloth face coverings."
But a valved mask still protects me MORE than it does others.
@brainwane thank you for this post. We are thinking about buying a co2 monitor so your rec is very timely! Your mitigation strategies are broadly similar to my household but we do eat indoors with friends so we're not quite as strict. I'm hopeful that the reduced risk from wfh/moving somewhere where I usually transit in my own car is a partial offset to that.
- I just bought us a new set of comfort air nx p100 because on our existing set, from May 2022, used daily, the silicone is starting to degrade.
- We have a cue free through my partner's work, I find that 1/3 to 1/2 the time it gives me invalid results and I need to re swab and redo the test. Once this happened 3x in a row, it usually happens at least once, leave an hour to test before you go since each run is 20 min or so.
@precisememory Very glad to be of help! I updated the post today with some more info on masks, testing, and Enovid, in case those additional details are helpful. And I hear you about thinking about overall risk budget holistically!
Thanks for the tip on your P100 and for warning about invalid tests with the Cue. Reswabbing and redoing the test means using a fresh test cartridge, right?
@brainwane Thanks, will check out the additional details! And yes, you need a new cartridge entirely if the cue test is invalid.