Dr. Artaud provides a lengthy detailed analysis and insight to mask wearing. To read more of his posts, click here.

Respirator use, in a variety of forms, was a daily thing for most employees at my former employer (I’m retired).

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N95 Respirators are Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFR). Essentially an N95 Filter is shaped into a Facepiece to cover the nose and mouth.

Elastomeric Respirators are rubber or silicone, they usually have 2 removable filters, cartridges,  or Combination Filter/Chemical Cartridges.

The respirators shown below are representative of 1/2 Face Elastomeric Respirators. The cartridges shown on the left respirator would work, but also has a chemical cartridge.

A simpler filter or filter cartridge is available. The cartridges on the right respirator are not suitable for covid-19 and variants, but a filter cartridge is available. 

In Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirators:

• Both N95 FFR and 1/2 Face Respirator (though both cover the nose and mouth, usually 1/2 Face refers to an Elastomeric Respirator that covers those areas), have an Assigned Protection Factor of 10, therefore 1/10  i.e. 10%, of the Contaminants may get past the Face-to-Facepiece Seal (Unfiltered) and be Inhaled by the user.

• Full Face Respirators, shown below, but not otherwise discussed in this Blog,  covers the nose, mouth, and eyes, and have an Assigned Protection Factor of 50, therefore 1/50, i.e. 2%, of the Contaminants may get past the Face-to-Facepiece Seal (Unfiltered) and be Inhaled by the user. 

The Respirators shown below are representative of Full Face Elastomeric Respirators, the cartridges shown on the Left Respirator may work, but also has a Chemical Cartridge, a Simpler Filter or Filter Cartridge is available.

The cartridges on the right respirator are not suitable for covid-19 and variants, but a filter or filter cartridge is available. 

If an OSHA-covered employer requires respirator use, they must provide each employee required to use a respirator with an Initial Physical or Medical Questionnaire, a yearly Fit Test, and have a Training Program on Respirator Care, Use, Storage, etc.

The respiratory protection standard requires an initial medical evaluation to determine the employee’s ability to use a respirator before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. At a minimum the employer must provide additional evaluations if an employee shows signs or symptoms that are related to their ability to wear a respirator. There is not a specific annual requirement for medical evaluations in the standard. However, the physician or other licensed healthcare provider (PLHCP) may prescribe annual tests to ensure employees’ continued ability to wear a respirator.

Voluntary use of Filtering Facepiece Respirators by employees doesn’t require Physicals, Fit Tests, or a Training Program, but: 

If you permit the use of respirators other than filtering facepieces, you must pay for required medical evaluations for voluntary users and provide voluntary users with appropriate facilities and time to clean, disinfect, maintain, and store respirators.

As I was required by my employer to use respiratory protection, I had these Respirator Fit Tests done yearly:

•  1/2 Face Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirator
• Full Face Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirator
• Positive Pressure SCBA Full Facepiece (SCBA = Self Contained Breathing Apparatus); alternately at work, we used Supplied Air Respirators (same Facepiece) with an Emergency Escape Cylinder (SAR/ESCBA).

There are qualitative and quantitative tests, our was Quantitative. It measures the particles outside the Facepiece and via an adapter cartridge, and it measures the particles inside the Facepiece to see the actual reduction in particles stopped by the filter. If the fit is poor, more particles get past the Face-to-Facepiece seal and are recorded.

One does not merely sit stationary during the Fit Test, according to OSHA. The following movements and other requirements must be done or made while the Fit Test is in progress, each done for a predetermined time, see b after 8 below:

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(1) 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮.

(2) 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮, 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙮𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚.

(3) 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚. 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨/𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚.

(4) 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨/𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (𝙞.𝙚., 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜).

(5) 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙤 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙬 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 100, 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜.

𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙬 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙬. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨, 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙩. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙬.

(6) 𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜. (𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙌𝙉𝙁𝙏 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜; 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙌𝙇𝙁𝙏.)

(7) 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙝𝙚/𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨/𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙚𝙨. 𝙅𝙤𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚 𝙌𝙉𝙁𝙏 𝙤𝙧 𝙌𝙇𝙁𝙏 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙩.

(8) 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 (1).

(𝙗) 𝙀𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 15 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙡. 𝙄𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙮 𝙖𝙙𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙.

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So, under OSHA for employers that require respiratory use, you go through the above Fit Test while clean shaven, Trained about Use, Care, and Limitations of Respirators, are Issued a Specific Make, Model, and Size Respirator.

You must always use that Same Make, Model, and Size Respirator, (or be Fit Tested for a different Make, Model, or Size Respirator) and if it’s an N95 FFR or 1/2 Face Elastomeric Air Purifying Respirator, and you’re Clean Shaven, as you must be when using the Respirator, 10% of the Contaminants will still leak in, 10% or more.

As you Talk, Make Facial Expressions, Breathe Deeply, Turn your Head, Nod your Head, Bend Over to Work, and more, the contaminant leaks in at varying amounts. The bottom line is that even with leaks, is the average exposure still less than the Permissible Exposure Limit to the Contaminant?

But what is the Permissible Exposure Limit to covid-19 pathogens?

Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirators are only for use in Non-IDLF (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) environments.

Though many pathogens may not be considered Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health, how many Air Borne Pathogens for covid can safely be inhaled? Are they not significantly dangerous to Life and Health? Will leaking 10% or more into the Respirator still leave the user adequately protected?

Masks, i.e. Surgical Masks, have NO FACE-TO-FACEPIECE SEAL, they DO NOT HAVE AN ASSIGNED PROTECTION FACTOR. That means, as far as Airborne Contaminants, they are free to enter the respiratory system by circumventing the Mask.

One Industrial Hygiene specialist said Doctors and Nurses are instructed, if needing to sneeze, to face the area where the sterile conditions are important, because the Sneeze exits from the Side of the Mask, and after sneezing, the Mask must be changed, hands washed, etc.

For Example, From:
Military Obstetrics and Gynecology

Is this:
Coughing and Sneezing: If you are ill, you should not be in the operating room at all. Sometimes, even if well, the need to cough or sneeze will sometimes overpower you. If you have time to move completely away from the patient before sneezing or coughing, do that.

If you are standing at the patient’s side and suddenly must cough or sneeze, look directly at the surgical wound while sneezing. That way, the fine aerosol that is created by the sneeze will shoot out the sides of your mask (and not into the wound.) If you try to turn your head away from the wound, you will likely spray the aerosol out the side of your mask and right into the wound.

Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses

From the Conclusion Section (underlining and bold emphasis is mine):

The pooled results of RCTs (randomised controlled trials) did not show a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks.

 There were no clear differences between the use of medical/surgical masks compared with N95/P2 respirators in healthcare workers when used in routine care to reduce respiratory viral infection. 

Hand hygiene is likely to modestly reduce the burden of respiratory illness, and although this effect was also present when ILI (influenza‐like illness) and laboratory‐confirmed influenza were analysed separately, it was not found to be a significant difference for the latter two outcomes. Harms associated with physical interventions were under‐investigated.

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There’s leakage at the N95 (FFR), 1/2 Face, or Full Face, Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirator Face-to-Facepiece Seal.

I am incredulous that the N95 (FFR) is touted as removing 95% of the Contaminants.

• Due to the aforementioned leakage, 10% of the Contaminants are likely to enter the Facepiece due to Face-to-Facepiece Seal Leakage. Therefore, an N95 (FFR) will not reduce 95% of the exposure, rather 10% and likely more of the Contaminants may enter the Respiratory System Unfiltered.

•A N95 (FFR) would be akin to being 90% Effective at removing the contaminants under Ideal Circumstances, not 95%.

• 1/2 Face Negative Pressure Elastomeric Respirators; using N95 Filters, Cartridges, or N95 Combination Filter/Chemical Cartridges; may still leak 10%, thus the Respirator, as worn, may still only stop 90% of the contaminants under Ideal Circumstances, not 95%.

• An N95 Filter itself (Not an FFR) stops 95% of particles 0.3 Microns or larger, but covid-19 is 0.125 Microns and Smaller. It seems more particles will directly penetrate the Filter.

Three Mechanisms work to stop particles smaller than the Filter is designed for.

1. The air travels around the Fibers in the Filter, requiring the air to redirect to do so. The Contaminants have greater mass and may become entangled in the fibers from not being able to redirect as quickly. 
2. Massing of smaller particles, viruses don’t necessarily travel as individual particles, rather they may cluster together, broadening the profile of the cluster and becoming entangled in the Filter fibers.
3. Electrostatic Charges serve to pull the contaminants into the Filter Fibers. I think that N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators that have become moist by breathing through them wouldn’t be likely to benefit by this mechanism. I believe that Elastomeric Respirators with Intake and Exhaust Valves (not permitted on Respirators worn by those infected as the Exhaust Valves allow pathogens to escape the Respirator unfiltered) benefit by those valves in preventing moist breath from going through the Filter Media.

I’ll bet much of this is news to the readers. There’s a Science to Respirator and Mask Use, but the Science is not being applied, the authorities are more interested in Compliance than facts.

I had, early in the Pandemic, purchased 20 N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators, I always used them Clean Shaven.

They were not Fit Tested. I never cheated the Respirator by wearing it below my nose (it’s easier to do with Masks).

I never wore a mask. I think N95 worn correctly, used correctly, in combination with Hand Washing before and after handling, may have some value on some pathogens (Tuberculosis pathogen is 3 microns in diameter, N95 will easily stop that). I think Masks have some ability to block some Droplets.

Wearing an N95 (FFR), or Elastomeric Respirator without Fit Testing, Training, Proper Use, Understanding Limitations, etc., or wearing a Mask without Training, Proper Use, Understanding Limitations, etc., is likely to cause people to enter infected areas because they feel safe due to what they are wearing, and I’m not sure the facts support the efficacy of these devices.

That’s what science is all about, looking at facts. I don’t see these facts being applied for N95 (FFR) and masks regarding their use against covid-19 and variants. 

This Blog is not meant to suggest that people disregard requirements for Respiratory Protection against covid-19 and variants, but it is to inform the reader that proper Respirator Use is much more complicated than slapping a piece of cloth over your mouth and nose. Why haven’t the authorities told you the complexities of Correct Respirator usage? Are they afraid of the Science? 

“Dr. Artaud” is a Technical School trained Optician (and several years as a dispensing optician). He is a mostly trained Pharmacy Technician (all but completed training, went to work in Electrical Maintenance in Heavy Industry). He was also a Union Safety Representative for about 8 years, most of that time doing the Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirator segment of the Company’s Industrial Hygiene Classes for 1200+ Union Brothers and Sisters, as well as Supervisors; in classes of 30 to 35; yearly for over 7 years.

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IN GOD WE TRUST

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