Seattle to DC with sightseeing and coronavirus?

[BillyGr]

One other option in that particular situation would be to have left the valve mask on, and then covered it with the surgical mask they provided.

That would (or at least it seems) provide the best protection, as the valve mask protects you (not letting you breathe in anything bad) but opens when you exhale (which lets out anything you might have), while the surgical layer over top stops/slows what you let out through the valve (protecting others) while not doing much for you.

So you have one layer protecting you and the other protecting the rest of the people in the room.

Obviously, not something most would do or go as far as to obtain, but in a situation where both were available...

[Mark Sedenquist]

I am not a medical expert, but I have used N95's with valves for years because of the kind of buildings I have "crawled" (inspected) as part of disaster response and property management. The valve, as I understand it, is mostly to ease the discomfort of the wearer in low air flow situations.

But I think we're getting away from the point here.

For COVID-19, unless one is a medical, front-line worker, the purpose of a mask is to reduce the incidence of respiratory droplets issued from our noses/mouths from landing on other people.

By and large, no mask of any kind, generally available to the public, is going to protect "me." Viruses are not stopped by masks, without extraordinary measures -- custom-fitted and used with face plates.

Intuitively, (and that's the extent of my knowledge), I would think that wearing a N95 with a valve would not offer the same level of "protection" to other people that a non-valve N95 does. But any kind of mask does prevent the easier transmission of respiratory droplets from our bodies to others.

My brother manages a series of medical clinics -- by and large -- his front-line medical evaluators are using N95 (without valves) and face plates -- but they all acknowledge that short of wearing full-on, air-supplied respirators, they are not truly protected.

I know that there has been some somewhat heated discussion about the relatively validity of different kinds of masks herein. Bottom-line -- wearing a mask is an "implied statement of intent" that we all in this together and that we are looking out for each other. But arguing about the efficacy of what kind of mask or another -- in my view, that's not a priority for me.

This forum will continue to provide a "safe" place to discuss the specifics of these troubling times. But I don't think there is truly a "correct" point of view.

I have a small supply a N95 valves and valveless for crawling hazardous attics -- but when I go out in public, I use a cloth neck gaiter -- No expectation that I will be protected against any nasty virus molecules.

Mark

[AZBuck]

One more bit of advice, which you are free to ignore and whatever sort of mask you wear. Take a look at it and if it's 'surgical-like' it will have a central covering with over-ear loops on either side:
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Most people will just casually put the loops over their ears and be on their way. But you can get a much tighter fit by first putting the mask up to your face, positioning the bottom below your chin and the top over your nose. (Note: the 'top' will/should be the edge with an embedded piece of plastic or metal that can be bent to the shape of your nose bridge.) Now, rather than just pulling the loops around your ears 'as is', give each loop a half twist as you put it over its respective ear. This will have the bottom of the mask attached to the top of your ears and top of the mask attached to the bottom, making a much tighter and better fitting covering.

AZBuck

[landmariner]

One more bit of advice, which you are free to ignore and whatever sort of mask you wear. Take a look at it and if it's 'surgical-like' it will have a central covering with over-ear loops on either side:
. _
(|_|)

Most people will just casually put the loops over their ears and be on their way. But you can get a much tighter fit by first putting the mask up to your face, positioning the bottom below your chin and the top over your nose. (Note: the 'top' will/should be the edge with an embedded piece of plastic or metal that can be bent to the shape of your nose bridge.) Now, rather than just pulling the loops around your ears 'as is', give each loop a half twist as you put it over its respective ear. This will have the bottom of the mask attached to the top of your ears and top of the mask attached to the bottom, making a much tighter and better fitting covering.

AZBuck

And hopefully keep the mask from sliding down off one's nose during talking (that is one benefit of the tie behind the head method).