Jump to content

Who makes surgical masks you can actually breath through?


Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

Recommended Posts

I stopped wearing masks in the Spring when the state took them off the mandatory list. Recently got tested for covid antibodies to see if I have any built-in defense. I have no antibodies and never got the vaccine. Fall is coming and covid or whatever the current virus du jour is, is rising; so mask season may come around again as the state goes back to mandatory masks.

I've been using new / old stock Henry Schein procedure masks for dentists from 1998 made in USA. (Yes, America used to make masks.) I found a couple hundred new masks I had in storage and had been using them. I used to buy the masks by the case when I worked in demolition. There were cheap enough so you could change them every few hours if you needed to. For heavy dirt I used 3M N95's, but back then they were not called N95's.

All the Chinese surgical masks I've tried look similar to this vintage 1998 mask, but you can't breath through the material. Consequently you end up breathing in unfiltered air sucked in from the sides of the mask. In other words the Chinese masks I've tried are just for show. To test surgical masks for filtering, form a seal around your lips with the mask material as you suck in air through your mouth. If you can't breath through the mask material...there you go...you got a decorator model!

Since the USA does not seem to make any surgical masks, I'm hoping that someone in China or elsewhere makes a decent filtering mask. I hate wearing N95 masks all the time. Any suggestions for masks you can actually breath through?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Just an update on the masks...

I recently tried some made in the USA masks. (Amershield, Life Care) as well as Equate. (Walmart) The USA models said 'made in USA with imported components' or some such thing.

Guess what...they are using the same unbreathable Chinese fabric in the made in the USA models.

Now they didn't say China on the boxes for the fabric, but that is my conclusion. And none of that really matters, the fabric could come from India or Timbuktu, the unbreathable part is what matters. 

Edited by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
2 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

I just got the vaccine and said hell with the masks. 

Amen Brother! I’m on a mandatory vaccination movie (as a condition for employment) and we still have to wear masks while at work because of the Return to Work Agreement with the Studios. It’s a pain!

G

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
1 hour ago, Gregory Irwin said:

Amen Brother! I’m on a mandatory vaccination movie (as a condition for employment) and we still have to wear masks while at work because of the Return to Work Agreement with the Studios. It’s a pain!

G

Me too! I work at union shops and it sucks that we all have the vaccine and still have to wear masks. I’m so done with it. ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just bear in mind that vaccination doesn't give 100% protection, same as the flu vaccine, it greatly reduces the chances of you getting seriously ill and hospitalized, but it's still possible to become ill.

If working in at close quarters, in confined spaces or areas with poor ventilation, you should wear a mask. You may also have to regularly change the mask, especially, if you're speaking loudly, the single use ones tend to become clogged and unpleasant after two or three hours.

Fortunately, we don't need to wear full PPE (unless filming on a COVID ward), getting a filling done these days involves the dentist in the full gear and sounding like Darth Vader.

Pulling open the folds in the masks makes breathing easier.

 

Edited by Brian Drysdale
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...