Because of increased production and supply, the masks can now be purchased easily by the general public. Early in the pandemic persons were urged to not purchase them to save the limited supply for medical professionals.
Benefits
The current touted main benefit of course is protection against many particles of COVID-19. But N95 masks also help protect against transmission of the flu and many other diseases, as well as dust. N95 masks offer more protection than cloth masks. According to an OSHA webpage (1) , “When worn properly (with the mask making a tight seal with the user’s face), surgical N95 masks can filter at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron) test particles.”
Risks/Weaknesses
But there are risks and weaknesses. A study found (2) that wearing facemasks for long periods often produced “headaches, rash, acne, skin breakdown, and impaired cognition.”
For one thing, wearing the masks does make breathing more difficult. Furthermore, wearing them offers significant health risks for certain at-risk groups. For example, a study linked to on the National Institutes of Health website (3) discusses the risks to persons with COPD of wearing N95 masks.
An article in The Atlantic (4) questions whether the benefits of masking children outweigh the risks.
Furthermore, the N95 masks by definition only remove at least 95% of particles of a particular size. And the letter N in N95 indicates the masks do not protect against such things as oil. P95 masks protect against oil. No mask is 100% effective.
Wearing N95 Masks
N95 masks come in different sizes. For one to work properly, it has to be the right size for an individual’s face and needs to be put on properly. Furthermore, it’s nice to have clean hands when attaching the mask.
The OSHA website includes videos (5) about fit testing for N95 respirators. Since N95 masks made by different companies often differ in design, company websites often provide specific guidance too. For example, a Prestige Ameritech webpage (6) provides links to information about sizing and applying its ProGear® N95 respirator masks. That happens to be the type I purchased, and below is a photo of a box containing some of those masks, as well as a photo of an individual mask. But there are numerous other companies making the masks, and I am not affiliated with Prestige Ameritech in any way.
In addition to N95 masks, there are N99 and N100 mask which protect respectively against 99% and 99.97% of the particles that the N95 is 95% effective against. But these masks are more expensive than N95 masks, likely harder to breathe through, and wearers likely experience side effects of wearing them that are more severe than those from wearing an N95 mask.
Cleaning and Reusing N95 Masks
While N95 masks are considered to be disposable, single-use devices, there are procedures for cleaning and reusing them. as noted in a study linked to on the National Institutes of Health website (7) .
Closing Thoughts
I’m not a medical professional and can give no medical advice. But I feel each individual needs to carefully consider the benefits and risks of wearing an N95 mask versus wearing just a cloth one or not wearing a mask.
Personally, I typically wear an N95 mask now while riding on my city’s bus system and while visiting the grocery or public library. However, at my workplace which seems to be well ventilated and where I seek to maintain social distancing, I normally still wear a cloth mask with three layers. Wearing an N95 mask for four hours or longer at work seems like a lot. I do feel the pressure on the bridge of my nose and my face from the tighter fit and a bit more difficulty breathing while wearing it. But I do feel that for me its benefits outweigh its risks when social distancing isn’t easy.
ENDNOTES:
(1) “OSHA Requirements for Occupational Use of N95 Masks in Healthcare”; April 18th, 2020; https://oshareview.com/2020/04/osha-requirements-for-occupational-use-of-n95-respirators-in-healthcare/; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021
(2) Rosner, Elisheva; “Adverse Effects of Prolonged mask Use among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19”; Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology; Volume 6, Issue 3; https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jide/journal-of-infectious-diseases-and-epidemiology-jide-6-130.php?jid=jide; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021
(3) Kyung, Sun Young; Kim, Yujin; Hwang, Hyunjoong; Park, Jeong-Woong; and Jeong, Sung Hwan; “Risks of N95 Face Mask Use in Subjects with COPD;” Respiratory Care; 2020 May;65(5):658-664. doi: 10.4187/respcare.06713. Epub 2020 Jan 28., https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31992666/; accessed on a webpage of the National Institutes of Health September 3rd, 2021
(4) Prasad, Vinay; “The Downsides of Masking Young Students Are Real”; The Atlantic; September 2nd, 2021; https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/school-mask-mandates-downside/619952/ Webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021
(5) “Respiratory Protection: Respiratory Protection Training Videos”; Occupational Safety and Health Administration; https://www.osha.gov/respiratory-protection/training; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021
(6) “N95 Instructional Videos”; Prestige Ameritech website; https://www.prestigeameritech.com/n95-videos; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021
(7) Juang, Pascal S. C. and Tsai, Peter; “N95 Respirator Cleaning and Reuse Methods Proposed by the Inventor of the N95 Mask Material”; Journal of Emergency Medicine; 2020 May; 58(5): 817–820. Published online 2020 Apr 16. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.04.036; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7161499/; accessed on webpage of National Instututes of Health September 3rd, 2021
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