With the immensely transmissible Omicron variant so prevalent, I’ve decided to try to get N95 masks to wear when I have to go out in public. I have been double-masking with a surgical mask under a very good quality cloth mask made by medicalwear producer Jaanuu but thought that I should probably go to an N95 mask which is designed to fit more closely and filter out 95% of particles under NIOSH standards. (NIOSH is the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.)
It’s somewhat difficult to find N95 masks in stores here. We did get a few from a home improvement store which stocks them because they are protective against dust and other particles for people doing construction or renovating. The problem is that they only carry one size which is too large for my petite face. I was able to find N95s in a size small online and a second fold-flat style that people complained about in the comments as running small, so I have ordered some. They won’t arrive until late this week or early next but I think I’ll be safe with my current mask set-up until then.
Or safe enough…
Masking is just one piece of our strategy. The three doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is my primary protection. The masks, avoiding crowds, distancing, etc. are additional measures to stay as safe as possible but, especially with Omicron, there are no guarantees.
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Our Covid case numbers are still high here in the UK but hospitalisations and deaths have remained stable so we have just started to relax our rules again so masks are no longer mandatory virtually anywhere except on London Transport (buses and trains). Like you I’ve been triple jabbed but I still don’t want to get it if I can help it so I think I’ll still be wearing a mask for some time yet.
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I agree. The COVID numbers in my state (New York) are trending down, although in my county the numbers are still high, especially among children, which is worrying. I have two young grandchildren in London, too young to be eligible for vaccination, and I’m worried about them with the rules there being pulled back again. I know there is a lot of testing in the UK but, with the virus being transmissible often before test results come back positive, it seems that masks are still a wise precaution, as you say.
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I recently read that the government is providing free N95 masks. I don’t have any details yet. I’ve already order the free 4 COVID testing kits from USPS.
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I’ve ordered my test kits, too. The free N95s are supposed to be distributed through pharmacies and such but I figure that I need to find a supply of N95s that will fit because, even if the pharmacy ones do, they won’t last long.
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I think using N95 is a great idea.
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I got a notice this morning that one set has already shipped. The arrival time is estimated for early next month, but maybe I’ll be lucky and they will arrive sooner.
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Somewhere, somebody’s elderly mother is thanking you for your care and caution! ❤
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Thanks for that reminder, Liz. While my father has since passed away, I spent the first year and a half of the pandemic being extra careful to protect him. I’ve tried to still stay vigilant because, as you so rightly point out, the lives of others are dependent on the community as a whole being careful to protect them.
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