Will painting respirators protect one from the COVID-19 virus?

[engineheat]

As to the above paint masks, I would also say this is a very bad idea. Just stick to FFP2 masks.

Looks like painting masks are at least P95 rated = same as N95 or FFP2 but with oil resistance.
If you have the luxury of selection you really want FFP3, P100 or N100.

Silicone rubber facepiece seals lot better than single-use mask/respirator but as mentioned keeping the rubber facepiece kosher is another matter.

The thing that really appeals to me is that the silicone facepiece offers better seal. Can't they be disinfected with alcohol?

I mean, those N95 dust masks are way too expensive and hard to get to treat them as disposables. I only have like 5.

[engineheat]

Agreed... (the only point I'm weary of is as I said what happens after the mask has been exposed to some viral charge, how do you manage this? With a disposable mask, you just throw it away...)

Most people don't have 100 masks sitting around to be throwing them away after each errand. Can't you wash them or spray with alcohol?

[amyk]

Anyone else looked at the title of the thread and wondered "painting them with what?"

[beanflying]

Agreed... (the only point I'm weary of is as I said what happens after the mask has been exposed to some viral charge, how do you manage this? With a disposable mask, you just throw it away...)

Most people don't have 100 masks sitting around to be throwing them away after each errand. Can't you wash them or spray with alcohol?

Spraying the surface of a porous item won't work if there is contaminants in the weave of the filter itself. So your Cartridges if you plan on using them will need proper sterilization to kill off any bugs generally heat would be the only appropriate method.

The box below is some I brought early in the year for woodworking leaving my 3M cartridge mask just for painting. They are out of date medical masks ($0.11 each). https://www.bsnmedical.com.au/products/wound-care-vascular/category-product-search/masks/non-fluid-resistant/proshieldr-resistant.html They are shown as non fluid resistant so washing them is likely a no go too but some available are fluid resistant. Looking at the weave the material will be a non woven rather than paper so it will survive some fluid splash but unlikely to survive 'washing'.

No I won't be wearing them when out shopping or reselling them on evilbay to make a $

[Electro Detective]

Save your cash on placebo masks and spend it on dunny paper instead.   

Apparently it has hidden magical properties that many mere mortals into electronics are not aware of, yet   

as well as filtering out corona from entering the nether regions if a few layers are strategically jammed in.

Billions of loo roll hoarders can't be wrong   

[jfiresto]

I am not sure why some are piling on reusable respirators. The medical community is currently considering the issues, standards and procedures for their use, as they have some distinct advantages over disposable face masks, and some challenges.

The report "Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care – Considerations for Routine and Surge Use" reviews where things stood as of 2017/2019.

... During a public health emergency, challenges will arise concerning the availability of respiratory protective devices (i.e., respirators). In response to respirator shortages during the 2009 influenza pandemic, the Strategic National Stockpile distributed more than 85.1 million disposable filtering facepiece respirators (sometimes referred to as N95s), which was in addition to the inventory that hospitals and other health care facilities already had in stock or had acquired through normal supply chains. Reusable respirators (specifically, reusable half-facepiece elastomeric respirators) are the standard respiratory protection device used in many industries, and they provide an option for use in health care that has to date not been fully explored. The durability and reusability of elastomeric respirators make them desirable for stockpiling for emergencies, where the need for large volumes of respirators can be anticipated.

In 2017 the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conduct a study on the use of half-facepiece reusable elastomeric respirators in health care, which resulted in this report. The National Academies appointed a 16-member committee that was tasked with exploring the potential for the use of elastomeric respirators in the U.S. health care system with a focus on the economic, policy, and implementation challenges and opportunities.

Chapter 4, Research and Development, reviews their cleaning and disinfection.

[beanflying]

To selectively quote a report on a proposal in support of their use isn't being fair to the reality. There is good reasons not to use them unless you can clean them properly and sanitize them. The typical home user isn't going to be geared up for the cleaning steps so disposable will remain the sensible non medical use alternate. The internal crevices and lips in my 3M mask for example would be very had to get to without full immersion or appropriate heat sanitization which will likely have other issues with some of the plastic parts.

What a fully staffed and well set up hospital does is really outside the scope for individuals.

The effects of training that are specific to elastomeric respirators have not been extensively evaluated. In the aforementioned study of elastomeric use in three hospitals in British Columbia, the researchers reported that

As [elastomeric respirators] are reusable, their use requires that cleaning, reprocessing, and equipment maintenance activities be conducted. Subsequently the education and training portion of fit testing sessions is more time-consuming, requiring an additional 10 to 15 minutes to complete. (Ciconte et al., 2013, p. 23)

[VK3DRB]

The ones with a valve is for bitches. They only protect the wearer, not the others. Wearing a mask is for both protecting yourself and the mass, more on the latter.

The mask is acting like a unidirectional TVS diode in series with current limiting resistor, with leakage resistance across the entire circuit.

[not1xor1]

Agreed... (the only point I'm weary of is as I said what happens after the mask has been exposed to some viral charge, how do you manage this? With a disposable mask, you just throw it away...)

you can clean the mask, with IPA, remove the filters and leave them in an IPA bath for few minutes (according to the tests 30 seconds are enough to kill the virus) and then let them dry overnight

the same can be done with disposable devices since they are difficult to find now and it is better to re-use them rather than going out without (I tested that on the last FPP3 mask I have from a stock I bought one year ago just for air pollution)

BTW in English those, FFP* are not called "mask"... may be respirator ... I can't remember the correct term now 

correction
the manufacturer usually provides proper instructions for cleaning, e.g. a solution of Sodium hypochlorite (3M)
it's better to just check the manufacturer site for that piece of information

[Electro Detective]

Yet another corona IDIOT moment viewed 'LIVE' in action    yesterday at Bunnings 
at the back of the Tool Shop where they keep the PPE stuff.

A 'person' (customer) was on the phone chatting with a similar sounding 'person' about what mask/respirators were available for corona

Think about it for a moment: the 'person' on the phone was in Bunnings, with a mixed assortment of people around,
with lots of airborne dust EVERYWHERE, as you get with an open door big box hardware store,

that 'person' had no mask on, yet buying for someone else, and to meet up and deliver it to them later

I mean seriously.. if there was something virus-ey floating about in the store, or entire suburb,
wtf did they achieve wasting time, petrol and a phone call,
to buy a mask for someone else in another location, and doing all that UNMASKED =    + 


And no, I wasn't there to buy a silly mask for corona purposes, nor 'borrow' a loo roll from the Bunning's dunny   

Just a normal calm customer, popping in to see LED replacement globe options, grab a cutoff disc or two, drill bit etc
and a quick perv at the tools 

[ebastler]

that 'person' had no mask on, yet buying for someone else, and to meet up and deliver it to them later

I mean seriously.. if there was something virus-ey floating about in the store, or entire suburb,
wtf did they achieve wasting time, petrol and a phone call,
to buy a mask for someone else in another location, and doing all that UNMASKED =    + 

What's wrong with that? A young and healthy person doing the shopping for an elderly, high-risk person -- and buying a couple of masks for them, in case they have to leave home at some point (say for a doctor's visit)?

And yes, you can physically hand over goods without running the risk of infecting the recipient. If you want to be extra careful, leave it outside their front door and spray the outer packaging with disinfectant.

[Electro Detective]

that 'person' had no mask on, yet buying for someone else, and to meet up and deliver it to them later

I mean seriously.. if there was something virus-ey floating about in the store, or entire suburb,
wtf did they achieve wasting time, petrol and a phone call,
to buy a mask for someone else in another location, and doing all that UNMASKED =    + 

What's wrong with that? A young and healthy person doing the shopping for an elderly, high-risk person -- and buying a couple of masks for them, in case they have to leave home at some point (say for a doctor's visit)?

And yes, you can physically hand over goods without running the risk of infecting the recipient. If you want to be extra careful, leave it outside their front door and spray the outer packaging with disinfectant.

FYI: clearly I could hear it was not an  "elderly, high-risk person" on the phone they were speaking to, but another same age IDIOT

or I'd bet a lowlife mask/respirator hoarder gang about to ship them in a sealed pallet or container elsewhere, most likely OS,
at 10 times the price   

while local aussies may have to resort to socks and undies to filter out corona 

[mzzj]

FYI: clearly I could hear it was not an  "elderly, high-risk person" on the phone they were speaking to, but another same age IDIOT

You should apply to work as a clairvoyant in nearest hospital. 
Some of my friends have congenital  heart disease, asthma and diabetes but they sound just the same to me on a phone.

[Electro Detective]

the person had the phone on hands free,
the person on the other end was no geriatic nor sounded short on breath or hinting they had one foot in the grave

It's a safe bet they were hoarding assholes,
the person on the other end was most likely filling their trailer with dunny paper and baby food to send OS 

**** them 

[KaneTW]

I have several friends who are immunocompromised or on immunosuppressants. They sound like normal adults but corona has a significantly increased chance of lethality for them.

[engineheat]

I also have a few of these masks:


I got them before this virus thing hit. Since I only have a couple, I need to be able to reuse them. I wonder if putting them in the oven at something like 70 C is a good idea. Supposed the COVID-19 gets killed at 65C (149F).

So basically cook it like a well done steak. Will it do any harm?
thanks

[beanflying]

For those who thought IPA washing was feasible our local big hardware stores are out of IPA (along with everyone else) and even the Methylated Spirits (Denatured Alcohol) is wiped out and I want to brew some Shellac for some woodwork projects

Didn't look at masks due to CBF and I had already won the TP lottery for the day. Add to that DUST masks are largely ineffective against Virus's 

[Electro Detective]

For those who thought IPA washing was feasible our local big hardware stores are out of IPA (along with everyone else) and even the Methylated Spirits (Denatured Alcohol) is wiped out and I want to brew some Shellac for some woodwork projects

Didn't look at masks due to CBF and I had already won the TP lottery for the day.

Add to that DUST masks are largely ineffective against Virus's 

Especially viri embedded with mutating Panique BS 

Have you tried Jaycar for IPA?

[beanflying]

I still have about 500ml of IPA and I can dissolve Shellac in it but I want to save it for 3D printing and electronics. The local Farmers Co-Op had Metho last week so I will give them a go tomorrow. Also IPA drys a bit fast so it isn't ideal.

Ballarat Bunnings still had 100% IPA so it is still around and there is plenty of PCB cleaner if needed for Electronics and I have Sanitiser in the First Aid kit anyway as a staple. Nearest Jaycar is 3 hours away 

[Electro Detective]

Supercheap, Repco ?   

[beanflying]

The Co-Op is walking distance after coffee in the morning the other options are 20 minutes drive.

[KaneTW]

Didn't look at masks due to CBF and I had already won the TP lottery for the day. Add to that DUST masks are largely ineffective against Virus's 

This is factually wrong. See the resources at https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/worker-health-safety-us/all-stories/full-story-detail/?storyid=8855304f-01cb-4af2-8937-83096cdb4113

Dusk masks of N95/FFP2 class or above protect against viruses.

[Electro Detective]

Didn't look at masks due to CBF and I had already won the TP lottery for the day. Add to that DUST masks are largely ineffective against Virus's 

This is factually wrong. See the resources at https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/worker-health-safety-us/all-stories/full-story-detail/?storyid=8855304f-01cb-4af2-8937-83096cdb4113

Dusk masks of N95/FFP2 class or above protect against viruses.

PDFs aside, I'd like to see their lab tests with live viri, filmed and witnessed by independent non-cash biased qualified people

Good luck with any mask if a non-hoax burial-class virus comes along,
assuming formerly nice people  that overnight mutated into toilet paper hoarding zombies    don't relieve you of your mask by force 
during the mindless mayhem that ensues 

[beanflying]

Didn't look at masks due to CBF and I had already won the TP lottery for the day. Add to that DUST masks are largely ineffective against Virus's 

This is factually wrong. See the resources at https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/worker-health-safety-us/all-stories/full-story-detail/?storyid=8855304f-01cb-4af2-8937-83096cdb4113

Dusk masks of N95/FFP2 class or above protect against viruses.

'Dust Masks' in the general disposable types sold at hardware stores are not generally N95 grade filtration they are typically 1-2 micron range not 0.3.

[KaneTW]

These are dust masks, just for a finer grade of dust. Yes, the cheapest grade (FFP1, no idea what the US equivalent is) won't block enough. But most commonly used dust masks (at least in my experience) are N95.

N95 masks are rated for 0.3um, but Coronavirus nuclei are 0.1um-ish. The reason masks are still effective is that droplets containing viruses dry out to form larger particles, which are better filterable.

Respirators also have a non-trivial absorbance curve:

While 0.1um particles only have 95-98% efficiency, that's basically what the respirator is rated for anyway.