I was looking to see if there were washable alternatives to the unavailable N95 type masks that have similar (or close) filtration levels. I came across several people selling masks marketed for the Pandemic that are cotton masks fitted with a middle layer made from a cutout of a vacuum cleaner bag made (hepa or nanofiber). Some of the vendors were the vacuum cleaner bag sellers themselves.  In essence, it seemed like it would work, but after doing a bit more research, found that some vacuum cleaner bag manufacturers say that can be extremely dangerous as the bags material uses tiny glass fibers that can be inhaled and get lodged in your lungs causing major issues. The articles about nanofiber inhalation are even more disturbing. Anyone come across a washable mask that offers actual viral filtration?

News article on masks made from Vacuum cleaner bags https://abcnews.go.com/Health/scarves-hepa-filters-kind-face-covering-best-bet/story?id=70058603

Article on the dangers of inhaling nanofibers https://www.zdnet.com/article/are-nanofibers-a-health-risk/

Full-Auto

It's for sure the HEPA vacuum cleaner bags were never intended for such use.

Perhaps an inner filtering layer, within one's mask, might be useful. Perhaps careful searing of the edges of "cut-out' filters might be advised.  Perhaps using HEPA vac bags is a bad idea.  YMMV.

The "experts" say that common masks serve best to restrain--N0T eliminate-- virus emissions from OTHERS, and serve very little anti-virus protection for OURSELVES.

In short, the more people that wear face masks, the less the virus is transmitted.  That's pretty much has been proven, over the decades.

The face masks are a mutual defense mechansm.  We wear a mask to protect others, and they wear a mask to protect us.

Only if the masks are fitted and worn properly.  There are plenty of studies where significant leakage occurs around the edges of a mask and I read one study that said a hand or inner elbow weren't much worse than an ill-fitted mask.  I won't even mention how many masks are worn improperly...but agree they can be effective if fitted and used properly to limit your personal spread if infected...

ROCK6

Generally speaking, the more people who wear facial masks, the less the distribution of the virus.  Certainly some will wear masks in a deficient manner.  Even so, wearing masks retards the spread of the virus, even if the masks are not worn properly.

I don't think this is seriously arguable.  This is a situation where everyone is being tasked to wear a mask, and some people do a better of doing so than others.

I've seen jackasses not wearing face masks, and stay WELL clear of them.

The face masks are to protect others, and not to protect oneself.

Hell, I could run around with a gas mask, but that would be over-kill.  And pointless.

No disrespect, ROCK6

Just to be certain,  we are talking about stopping droplets of sputum from entering the nose and mouth? It's not aerosolized viral particles is it? How small are sneeze and cough ejections?

RS