medical vs. non--medical surgical masks

[micky]

This is for me almost an academic question, but for others it might be important.

There appear to be two kinds of disease-prventing masks, that both look like "surgical masks", often blue on one side.

One kind is "medical" and the other kind is "non-medical". Based on some news articles, "medical" is pretty good. I've specifically read that it is better than cloth masks, any cloth mask afaict. Including afaict the ones you see politicians etc. wearing in public.

Surgical masks usually have two ear loops and they are pleated, so they get bigger vertically to cover nose and chin.

But afaict while they are labeled on the box, neither kind is labeled on the mask. I'm hoping I just haven't seen a medical mask in person and that they are actually labeled. I'm going by pictures on Amazon, and the pictures look pretty comprehensive, as they usually are, and even medical masks are not labeled as such.

They are both cheap, but I forget how much, maybe 37 cents each for medical and 30cents for non-medical, but I coudl be wrong. Not tonight but later I'll include some links, but I was hoping one of you knew the answrs without my providing links.

IIRC, even my KN95 masks don't have a spec written on the, although they were in high quality, thick "zip loc" style bags with a separate seal in addition. OTOH, my N95 masks were fully labeled by 3M with model number and some agency initials and "N95".

Without labeling, how can anyone prove that was sold didn't meet whatever standard there is, or that they were not sent what they ordered?

[gfretwell]

Not true at all. Even if you have your shots, they still want to make you wear a mask. In some places it isn't a request, it is at the point of a government gun.

[micky]

Last Friday, I got a package in the mail, addressed to my address but not me.

The return address had a phone number.

I called and offered to take it to neighbor it was intended for. The vendor was very impressed.

He thought it was a T-shirt, but had me open it and it was 2 boxes of

50-each masks, "not medical". Each bunch of 50 in a "plastic" bag. He said to keep them and he'd send out another order to the buyer.

That's when I found out that some surgical masks are medical and some are not.

And afaict there's no way to tell which kind you have unless it's still in the original package!!!

I called back and left a message that I still wanted to give them to the buyer but he hasn't called and probably won.t

What can I possibly do with the ones I have? I can't give them to someone who will think they are valuable.

Typical medical surgical masks -- pending

Typical non-medical surgical masks -- pending

Meanwhile N95 masks are avaiable again (probably because 10's of millions of peope who should be wearing masks are not) and they're only $2/piece. Considering I paid $1/piece 10 or 20 years ago, a package of

5, the price doesn't seem bad. are duck bill and I think I prefer other designs but if I couldn't get others, these would be fine.

[gfretwell]

I may get some N-95s now if they are really getting reasonable again but I want the with the valve in them for working on stuff.

As far as what you have. They are fine for what you want a mask for. Your virtue will be signaled just fine. ;-) It is probably all you see out there anyway unless you are in a hospital.

[micky]

Do you not realize that the valve means your breath goes on other people? With a valve their is protection for you but no protection for others. Is that what you want?

[gfretwell]

Read the note before your trader style knee starts jerking . I said "FOR WORKING ON STUFF"

I am only interested in the contaminates I am avoiding inhaling and OSHA recommends the one with the exhalation valve to prevent CO2 concentrations in the mask. The government seems to be ignoring that advice now. To answer your question, That is exactly what I want. If anyone is close enough to catch my germs, they better have a mask so the paint or fibers don't get in their lungs. Usually when I am shooting poly urethane folks stay away.

[Tekkie©]

On Mon, 13 Sep 2021 19:23:13 -0400, micky posted for all of us to digest...

Yes, that is what all the gov't workers use. Or cloth like Biden that don't do shit. He has it lined with meth so he can function. When the mask is off he fumbles. Brain fog.