Post by RoxMonster on Jan 27, 2021 19:15:59 GMT -5
I posted here recently about being back in the crowded classroom with kids and many recommended double masking and I've read several articles as well that recommend it.
My question is, is putting a good quality filter in a double layered cloth mask (so now it's three layers) just as good? I have tried the surgical mask + cloth mask. First, I hate the way surgical masks feel on my face - they rub my nose so that it gets raw/sore, and with the cloth mask fitting snugly on top, I feel like the surgical mask is getting sucked into my mouth. Also, I am so muffled when I talk, and I already feel like I am yelling in just a plain cloth mask to be heard clearly by my students in class, especially the ones Zooming in.
I have several cloth masks that have a sleeve specifically made for a filter and bought some HEPA grade filters. So it would be cloth / filter / cloth on my face. The WaPo article I read recommended either double masking or "putting a filter between two cloth masks." I do not want to wear two separate cloth masks. My cloth masks are already pretty thick by themselves.
So do you think my filter situation would be almost as good as double masking? I can talk way more clearly and be understood better with the filter and it is more comfortable.
Post by pierogigirl on Jan 27, 2021 19:25:40 GMT -5
I am in a fully in person class with 27 kids. I alternate wearing a kn95 mask and a 3 layer cloth mask with an added filter. The kn95 hurts my ears, so I usually only wear it two days in a row. I have been exposed and quarantined, but have not tested positive, so I guess it's working.
My recommendation is to ask your school for a microphone. I am in a very large, non-traditional space for a classroom. I have to use a microphone or no one would ever hear me and I would do permanent damage to my vocal cords. I've been doing this for 5 months and the microphone doesn't feel weird at all, now.
"Research published in the journal Med, which Marr was part of, noted people can either wear a cloth mask snuggly over the top of a surgical mask, with the latter acting as a filter and the former providing another layer of filtration, or wear a three-layer mask with outer layers made of a flexible, tightly woven fabric that can fit the face well. The middle layer on this mask would be a non-woven, high-efficiency filter material akin to that of a vacuum bag."
Post by RoxMonster on Jan 27, 2021 20:04:19 GMT -5
We requested lapel mics and my principal OK’d them last week but now is out sick with Covid so I am unsure when we will get them. Hopefully those will help!
I have one of those cloth masks that you can put the filter in, and I don't feel like it does much. The filter is small and air can still get in around the sides of the mask or through the part of the cloth mask that the filter doesn't reach. I would just get KN95 masks. Someone posted this company here the other day and they are reasonably priced and FDA approved. I bought a pack and they arrived very quickly. bonafidemasks.com/face-masks/kn95-respirator-face-masks/
I started wearing a surgical mask with a cloth mask over it. I also teach in a large, non-traditional space right now and sometimes use a headset mic if I need more volume.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
I am in a fully in person class with 27 kids. I alternate wearing a kn95 mask and a 3 layer cloth mask with an added filter. The kn95 hurts my ears, so I usually only wear it two days in a row. I have been exposed and quarantined, but have not tested positive, so I guess it's working.
My recommendation is to ask your school for a microphone. I am in a very large, non-traditional space for a classroom. I have to use a microphone or no one would ever hear me and I would do permanent damage to my vocal cords. I've been doing this for 5 months and the microphone doesn't feel weird at all, now.
Have you tried the paperclip trick to make your ears more comfortable? Apparently you can also use one of those little plastic monkeys with the arms outstretched — www.aliem.com/trick-of-trade-face-mask-hacks/ My coworker has some homemade “ear saver” I think he bought on etsy, where each loop connects to a button extender type thing. Eta: Kind of similar to this /photo/1 RoxMonster Yes what you’re describing with the three layers — cloth, filter, and cloth layer is also considered effective. You want to make sure it has a reasonably close fit, no gaps around the nose or cheeks
Post by jordancatalano4ever on Jan 27, 2021 20:53:34 GMT -5
I have been wearing a kn95 under a cloth mask since September. It works well. I don’t have problems with my voice being muffled. Sometimes I have to adjust if I’m talking a lot but it’s no biggie. I do wear a headset with a built in mic though.
I am in a fully in person class with 27 kids. I alternate wearing a kn95 mask and a 3 layer cloth mask with an added filter. The kn95 hurts my ears, so I usually only wear it two days in a row. I have been exposed and quarantined, but have not tested positive, so I guess it's working.
My recommendation is to ask your school for a microphone. I am in a very large, non-traditional space for a classroom. I have to use a microphone or no one would ever hear me and I would do permanent damage to my vocal cords. I've been doing this for 5 months and the microphone doesn't feel weird at all, now.
Have you tried the paperclip trick to make your ears more comfortable? Apparently you can also use one of those little plastic monkeys with the arms outstretched — www.aliem.com/trick-of-trade-face-mask-hacks/ My coworker has some homemade “ear saver” I think he bought on etsy, where each loop connects to a button extender type thing. Eta: Kind of similar to this
/photo/1 RoxMonster Yes what you’re describing with the three layers — cloth, filter, and cloth layer is also considered effective. You want to make sure it has a reasonably close fit, no gaps around the nose or cheeks
Thank you! I have a Barrel of Monkeys. I'm going to try it now. I knew about the behind the head thingies, but I just have't bought one.
ETA: I couldn't find the Monkeys, but I have an ornament hook (the fancy kind with no sharp parts and I'm using it). I'll give it a try for a full day tomorrow.
I just ordered some KN95s from that Bonafide site and will try those under my cloth mask to see if it’s more comfortable than a surgical mask.
Those are the ones you can put in a paper bag and then wear again a week later right?
My understanding is that N95 and KN95s use static electricity as part of what makes them so effective. This doesn't last forever. I'm not sure if a paper bag will restore the static electricity, and I think this was only a suggestion in the beginning when there were PPE shortages for medical workers. They are considered a disposable mask and are really supposed to only be worn for a day and thrown away. I also wouldn't bother wearing a cloth mask over top. That sounds so uncomfortable. KN95s are sufficient to protect you on their own. They filter 95% of particles for the wearer if worn correctly.
I just ordered some KN95s from that Bonafide site and will try those under my cloth mask to see if it’s more comfortable than a surgical mask.
Those are the ones you can put in a paper bag and then wear again a week later right?
My understanding is that N95 and KN95s use static electricity as part of what makes them so effective. This doesn't last forever. I'm not sure if a paper bag will restore the static electricity, and I think this was only a suggestion in the beginning when there were PPE shortages for medical workers. They are considered a disposable mask and are really supposed to only be worn for a day and thrown away. I also wouldn't bother wearing a cloth mask over top. That sounds so uncomfortable. KN95s are sufficient to protect you on their own. They filter 95% of particles for the wearer if worn correctly.
I am a nurse in a hospital and we wear our N95’s 5 times before they are thrown away. We do UV treat them in between, but that is to kill any COVID that remains on the outside (we are in contact with COVID a lot). I don’t think you need to throw away a KN95 after one use. I’d be ok wearing it, leaving it to sit a couple of days*, and trading it out with another one. Then, once you’ve used it a few times, getting a new ones.
*for people working out in the community, not people working with COVID pts, obviously
I just ordered some KN95s from that Bonafide site and will try those under my cloth mask to see if it’s more comfortable than a surgical mask.
Those are the ones you can put in a paper bag and then wear again a week later right?
Yes. I use them once a week and replace them after like 6 weeks. I can’t afford to buy them weekly (it would be like $25 a month) so this is the solution I settled on. I wear my cloth mask over it really just for vanity. I don’t know why but I just find the plain masks jarring when I am on zoom.
I just ordered some KN95s from that Bonafide site and will try those under my cloth mask to see if it’s more comfortable than a surgical mask.
Those are the ones you can put in a paper bag and then wear again a week later right?
My understanding is that N95 and KN95s use static electricity as part of what makes them so effective. This doesn't last forever. I'm not sure if a paper bag will restore the static electricity, and I think this was only a suggestion in the beginning when there were PPE shortages for medical workers. They are considered a disposable mask and are really supposed to only be worn for a day and thrown away. I also wouldn't bother wearing a cloth mask over top. That sounds so uncomfortable. KN95s are sufficient to protect you on their own. They filter 95% of particles for the wearer if worn correctly.
I don’t know anywhere that people are only wearing n95s for 1 day and throwing them out. That’s still not realistic in many healthcare settings. They’re too expensive (I help with purchasing the PPE where I work). I wear an n95 with a surgical mask or cloth mask over it to help it’s shelf life. Not ideal but it is what it is during a pandemic.
OP is a teacher and isn’t intubating patients with COVID 19, so it’s likely fine to wear the same mask for a week with a cloth mask over top.
I am in a fully in person class with 27 kids. I alternate wearing a kn95 mask and a 3 layer cloth mask with an added filter. The kn95 hurts my ears, so I usually only wear it two days in a row. I have been exposed and quarantined, but have not tested positive, so I guess it's working.
My recommendation is to ask your school for a microphone. I am in a very large, non-traditional space for a classroom. I have to use a microphone or no one would ever hear me and I would do permanent damage to my vocal cords. I've been doing this for 5 months and the microphone doesn't feel weird at all, now.
Does anyone know of a good microphone that doesn’t need a computer? I am a sub so I need something easy to take somewhere different every day. I looked at some on amazon but they all said to hook up to a computer?
We went back in person last week and my throat wants to die. Trying to do phonics in a mask and really emphasize sounds... does not work
I wonder if double masking might be easier with one of those plastic cage/frame things so it's not feeling like it sucks in? It seems a number of people have found them helpful.
Wearing a mask bracket/guard will help with the 'sucked in' part. I mentioned mask guards to my brother and now he tells everyone about them. He retired 4 months ago (pharmacist), and says that the guards would have made working with a mask much better.
Wearing a mask bracket/guard will help with the 'sucked in' part. I mentioned mask guards to my brother and now he tells everyone about them. He retired 4 months ago (pharmacist), and says that the guards would have made working with a mask much better.
Wearing a mask bracket/guard will help with the 'sucked in' part. I mentioned mask guards to my brother and now he tells everyone about them. He retired 4 months ago (pharmacist), and says that the guards would have made working with a mask much better.
I was told they make the mask less effective.
I have seen discussions that suggest that if your mask is getting sucked in, it is getting wet and will not be as effective and will need to be changed more frequently. If one is double masking, and the masks fit properly, a guard might make it a little less effective, but a lot more comfortable, which may be worth it to someone.
Post by basilosaurus on Jan 28, 2021 9:01:52 GMT -5
If you knit/crochet there are ear savers that go around the back of your head. If you don't, there are products similar to the hooks used for sunglasses. I don't know the answer to your filter question, but since you mentioned the surgical masks hurting you, that would definitely help.
Post by wanderingback on Jan 28, 2021 11:16:06 GMT -5
Also trial and error with masks happens. One week we got these flimsy surgical masks that did suck in when you breath and I was like hell no. Luckily that was just a small batch and we had plenty of the other ones.
Right now I have my routine down of what I wear on the subway and which n95 I wear at work (we have 3 different brands due to ordering issues), so it might take some time, but you’ll get a routine down!
Post by formerlyak on Jan 28, 2021 12:40:40 GMT -5
@@ For those who have gone back to school, what are you seeing as good options for kids (first grade). Mine goes back Monday and I am thinking his tight weave cloth mask with a 5-layer filter in it?
I’m in-person in higher Ed. I’ve been doing a KN95 under a cloth mask. The KN95 is kind of... duckbilled? (I’m sure there is better phrasing for this) so it doesn’t get sucked in. I’m mostly wearing the cute cloth masks I bought early on on top for aesthetics.
I’ve only been at the double masking for four days, but my plan was to let each day’s mask sit for a week and then re-wear each one 4-5 times, to get a month’s use out of five masks. Should I be putting them in a bag instead of laying them out/hanging them up?
I’ve only been at the double masking for four days, but my plan was to let each day’s mask sit for a week and then re-wear each one 4-5 times, to get a month’s use out of five masks. Should I be putting them in a bag instead of laying them out/hanging them up?
(Also a higher Ed in-person instructor) I have mine in 5 paper bags placed inside a tote. I rotate my five and put them in bags so I just have to grab the tote to mask. I have extra sanitizer, alcohol wipes, and face wipes in the tote. I wear 1/day but sometimes I grab them for weekends too, so I used 1-5 as my labels not MTWRF. The doctor that supplied me said to wait 3+ days between wearings. I separate them to minimize cross-contamination.
I also wear a pretty mask on top each day—usually math themed because I teach math.
I responded above with a pattern for crochet ear savers. I have those in the bag too. I make them during exams for my colleagues because I need something to do while watching testers and our computers are too close to students.
I’ve only been at the double masking for four days, but my plan was to let each day’s mask sit for a week and then re-wear each one 4-5 times, to get a month’s use out of five masks. Should I be putting them in a bag instead of laying them out/hanging them up?
(Also a higher Ed in-person instructor) I have mine in 5 paper bags placed inside a tote. I rotate my five and put them in bags so I just have to grab the tote to mask. I have extra sanitizer, alcohol wipes, and face wipes in the tote. I wear 1/day but sometimes I grab them for weekends too, so I used 1-5 as my labels not MTWRF. The doctor that supplied me said to wait 3+ days between wearings. I separate them to minimize cross-contamination.
I also wear a pretty mask on top each day—usually math themed because I teach math.
I responded above with a pattern for crochet ear savers. I have those in the bag too. I make them during exams for my colleagues because I need something to do while watching testers and our computers are too close to students.
I’ve only been at the double masking for four days, but my plan was to let each day’s mask sit for a week and then re-wear each one 4-5 times, to get a month’s use out of five masks. Should I be putting them in a bag instead of laying them out/hanging them up?
I just hang my n95s up. I honestly don’t keep super track of which ones I wear for how long. Just look at home it looks and if it’s starting to get dirty or the elastic is stretching it goes out of rotation.