Just be aware that most respirators discharge unfiltered air into the environment, which only protects the wearer and not the public. I looked at the fairly standard 3M half-face respirator I own and considered modifying it to prevent discharge. It’s extremely easy to do by simply reversing the diaphragm on the exit port and on one of the filter sides. This would allow air to be filtered both coming into and out of the respirator. Unfortunately, the drawback is that the filter isn’t really designed to work in reverse, although it’s probably totally fine and would be vastly more effective than a simple mask. The main reason I didn’t do it is I was afraid of mold building up in the filter didn’t want to continually buy filters as they get all soggy.
But the fact is that a simple mask of nearly any style is more than effective enough in most real-world situations. The continuing issues we’re having are 99.9% on those who refuse to wear anything and are still going out and visiting family, restaurants etc.
My half face respirators have their exhaust ports covered by a quality pleated procedural mask media to serve as a source control filter that exceeds the standard for source control filtration - a man who noticed the procedural mask on my half mask burst out laughing at the incongruity.
I’ve considered making little miniature procedural masks with mini ear loops that would attach to epoxy putty hooks on the exhaust port housing just because the idea amuses me.
I haven’t fully blocked the port because the mask isn’t engineered for ʇsıoɯ air to filter air back out the filter cartridges, and moisture might damage the efficacy of the electrostatic filtration media. I hadn’t considered mold, but that is another thing I should have considered.
Same here until recently. You may want to try one or both of these; they both worked for us. I got these from Amazon:
Microfiber Memory Foam Nose Pads Anti-Fog Nose Bridge Pads Self-Adhesive Protection Nose Strip Seal Nose Cushion Sponge Nose Bridge Pads 50 pcsOur experience: If your mask is stretchable, then stretching your mask out flat then sticking the foam on would ensure a better seal 'twixt mask and foam; upon doing that (not easy, mind you), our glasses did not fog up.
Nose Bridge Strip 100PCS,Shed Protector Aluminum StripsThis works just as well for us, and I found an easier way to install these for better effect. Don your mask… then apply it to the mask over the bridge of your nose; the strip material is malleable, so you can custom shape it within seconds for a perfect fit. If your glasses fog up a little, simply press down further on the strip for a better fit.
Our maintenance system here at home: Note that I have no idea how these (being sticky-backed on) would manage through any wash. The two of us each have several washable masks, so we pre-installed these (mostly the aluminum strip types). We wear a retro-fitted mask four times unwashed, fine-spraying on a 50/50 mix of Hydrogen peroxide and 91% isopropyl alcohol after each use. 24 hours later, they’re dry enough for reuse. After the fourth use, we discard the pads and strips, then wash the masks.
There’s a study (with fantastic laser-lit slow-mo droplet video) that shows that while they’re not great by themselves, they’re a good extra with a proper mask underneath it. They stop coughing/shouting/spittle outright and they stop you touching your face. But the covid snot cloud spreads around the mask after a few seconds and yer ded. The number I recall is that alone they reduce transmission by 23% in surgical settings.
Jokes aside, if it does provide good uv protection AND doesn’t fog too bad under exertion, as someone who cycles and has seen his mom’s face sliced and diced 25 times due to skin cancer removals…I’ll suffer the slings and arrows of passersby and try it. Might also protect against the random stinging insect to the face thing.
This, a monk’s habit and a voice changer so I can loom at people and intone “In accordance with prophecy” in an eldritch manner. Could cosplay as Mr Cards from “Fallen London”…
Sorry, either this is a large, iridescent joke, or it’s unusable. Unless you can breathe through your ears, this thing will fog up something fierce in a minute or so.
That said, I haz serious wantage.
I’ve engineered something like that with two-layer cotton fabric (might upgrade to procedure mask fabric) and some rubber bands that hold the fabric against the mask and loop around the bayonet connectors on the half mask. Seems to work pretty well for a jury-rigged solution!
Of course I look and sound like a darth vader freak but that’s a small price to pay for P100 plus incredible seal and no glasses fogging. I really only use it for the every once in a while unavoidable indoor jaunt.
