We’re Witnessing the Fall of Public Health… and Your Best Tool is a Mask

Measles in Texas, bird flu in Louisiana, tuberculosis in Kansas and Covid everywhere. Public health has been dying a slow death for years, we can’t count on it anymore. What can we count on? A mask!

It’s time to start masking again. I know it’s not what people want to hear, but unfortunately viruses don’t care about what we want.

It’s been four years since most Covid mask mandates ended, and yet people are still so angry that they were ‘forced’ to mask that they’ve vilified this effective public health tool and turned it into a political symbol.

They’ve assigned an identity to people who mask. They see them as liberal, woke ‘sheep’. They think they’re weak and frail. They believe they belong to a ‘them’ and not to the collective ‘us’.

They’re wrong.

Maskers are none of those things. They’re simply people who understand the science. They are trying to do whatever they can to safeguard their health and the health of those around them in this ‘you do you’ era of viruses gone wild.

If you think back to before Covid, seeing people wearing a mask was not cause for outrage. It wasn’t as common back then as it is now, but I would see folks masking on public transit, in airports and in healthcare settings. Heck I masked in hospitals during cold and flu season.

The worst I ever got was the odd funny look. Someone might move further away from me in the waiting room because they assumed I had something they could catch. There was no anger. There was no vitriol. It was a non-event.

Then Covid hit and we were told we needed to mask up to stop transmission. Respirators were saved for healthcare workers (which made sense) and people were encouraged to wear cloth or surgical masks.

The idea behind this was simple - save as many lives as possible by ensuring source control. If every person masks, then those who are infectious will be less likely to spread the virus to others because something is covering their nose and mouth.

Will a cloth mask stop you from getting Covid if you’re face to face with unmasked people? Probably not. That’s when you need to up your mask game and wear an N95 or better. But if every single person has their nose and mouth covered properly, even cloth masks can drastically reduce transmission.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Image Description: A photo of blue ball with red and white spikes that’s designed to be a magnified virus

My “Freedom” to Breathe and the Rise of the Anti-Masker

It turns out there were a lot of people out there who didn’t like being told what to do. Who felt that being ‘forced’ to wear a mask to participate in society was too high a price to pay to protect their fellow human beings.

These folks did everything they could to undermine Covid mitigation. They purposefully wore masks with holes and/or created from fabric they knew to be ineffective. They wore their masks under their nose or chin, took them off as soon as they entered a public building, and even started directly coughing or sneezing on those people who were masking properly.

When folks scream that masks didn’t work to stop transmission, we need to push back and ensure they realize that we never gave them a fair shot. Mask mandates were loosely enforced at best, and too many people purposefully disregarded them. They do work when worn properly, but thanks to the ‘freedom’ loving crowd we never had a chance.

Most Covid cautious and high risk individuals have issues with how mask mandates were done. We weren’t thrilled with them either. We wish there had been better guidance on the different types of masks. We wish people had been clearly informed why two way masking was necessary. We wish they had been properly implemented.

I used to go to the hospital in an N95 and have to argue with a screener at the entrance to be allowed to keep my respirator on. They wanted me to switch into a surgical mask because they couldn’t be ‘certain’ my respirator was legitimate.

These types of policies caused people to question the legitimacy of mask mandates, because many of them made no logical sense. You shouldn’t ask a person to remove a fitted mask in a crowded entrance full of people just to make them put on an inferior product.

Restaurants had policies which required masking until you got to your table, and then you could remove your mask to eat. Obviously these types of policies won’t prevent Covid spread and served as fodder for anti-maskers to claim everything was ‘theatre’.

I don’t believe it was ‘theatre’ so much as we were learning as we went along. This was a global pandemic the likes of which we hadn’t seen in over a century. Decisions had to be made quickly, and the powers that be didn’t always get things right.

We have to start letting go of the anger and frustration over those early weeks and months of the pandemic, and recognize we did the best we could with the information we had. People were screaming for businesses to re-open, so social distancing and mask policies were enacted to attempt to protect folks who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) ‘stay home’.

Cloth masks weren’t ideal, but they were all we had because we had never needed N95s on a mass scale.

It wasn’t perfect, sometimes it was downright infuriating, but we must move past it. Mask mandates saved lives. They even eradicated an entire strain of the flu.

More importantly, we learned a ton during those early months about how Covid spreads, what types of masks are most effective, and how to meaningfully prevent infection.

Image Description: An illustration of a woman with brown hair and a pink shirt wearing a white respirator against a green background. Black text reads: “I mask because I know it spreads in the air”

Was it Ever Really About Masks?

This is an important question that we need to talk about more often. Are people really angry about masks? Or are they angry that they were told what to do? Are they experiencing trauma because for the first time in their lives they felt under threat and had absolutely no control over the situation?

If you’ve lived with disability or chronic illness for a long time, you have undoubtedly experienced people blaming you for your disease. Telling you to ‘just try harder’. Pushing miracle ‘cures’ that won’t do anything except lighten your wallet.

Most non disabled people are unable to face the fact that health is temporary. That all it takes is one virus, accident or stroke of bad luck to leave you permanently disabled. They don’t want to face it, so they blame us for our illnesses and tell themselves it can’t possibly happen to them.

It’s been this way as long as I can remember, and Covid challenged that narrative. People were dying in large numbers, and it wasn’t ‘only the vulnerable.’ We were hearing horror stories of previously healthy people spending weeks or months in the ICU fighting for their lives. There were refrigerator trucks full of bodies in cities like New York. People were scared.

The narrative now is that it was ‘just a cold’ and that it is those of us still masking who are scared, but the reality is that everyone was scared at the very beginning. People couldn’t handle the fact that this invisible virus that they couldn’t control or stop might end their lives. Might take away their long term health. Might make them one of the ‘vulnerable’.

So they lashed out. They fought back. They latched on to anyone who minimized the dangers of the virus and bought into harmful anti-mask and anti-vaccine narratives. After all, it’s far easier to tell yourself it was all a hoax designed to ‘control’ us than to face the fact that you might have to change your behaviour in order to save your own life.

The end result is a society full of people who think infection control is wrong. Who believe that maskers are ‘bad’. Who think everything is a hoax and anyone advocating for science is a ‘sheep’.

We’ve turned back decades of progress on public health, and the results have been devastating. Millions of lives lost to Covid. 400 million disabled.

And it’s not just about Covid. We’re seeing the worst flu year in recent memory with previously young and healthy people once again landing in the ICU. There are outbreaks of measles and tuberculosis. Bird flu is running rampant through the animal population and little is being done to stop it.

In short, viruses are everywhere right now and common sense infection control and public health has vanished. We are on our own.

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

Image Description: A teal coloured N95 respirator is shown against a white background

Respirators are Amazing! Let’s Start Using Them!

It’s time for a bit of public health education. I promise this won’t be boring, respirators are actually amazing when you learn about what they can do!

If you were someone who only wore cloth or surgical masks, this next section is just for you. If you’re someone who’s masking with an N95 already but want to convince more people to do the same, I hope this article will help you in your battle.

Respirators are more than a simple mask. They do act as a sieve which blocks particles, but they also have an electrostatic charge. That charge can trap smaller particles that might be tempted to sneak through the sieve.

Wired explains this incredible feat of physics in their in depth article on N95s here

So, the electret fibers in an N95 mask not only block small particles by getting in the way, they can also attract them with the electric interaction, so they get stuck to the fibers. This means that those water droplets carrying a virus don’t get inhaled, and the mask wearer won’t be infected. Of course, an N95 also blocks other small particles, like dust, paint, and other toxic stuff that might not be great for a person to inhale into their body.

If you’re like me and your eyes glaze over when reading science heavy material, I’ve got you covered. Amanda Hu created a video reel to explain the fact that ‘N95s are not sieves’. You can view it below (trigger warning for bright flashing lights) and follow her on Bluesky for more:

I suspect a lot of people wore cloth or surgical masks, got infected with Covid and then concluded that ‘masks don’t work’. I understand the impulse, but I’m here to tell you that a well fitted N95 is incredibly effective.

If you want your best chance at avoiding not only Covid, but other airborne bacteria and viruses… it’s time to up your mask game. Once you do I promise you, you will never want to go back.

We’ve Learned the Science, What Else Do We Need to Know?

I find some folks are intimidated by N95s and other respirators. They’re more expensive, people talk about fit factor a lot and many don’t know where to purchase them.

I want to try and help with that. This next section will go over everything I think you need to know about switching to an N95 (or better).

• What’s the Deal with Fit Factor?

  • You will hear a lot of people talk about fit factor, because it’s an incredibly important part of wearing a respirator.

  • It refers to how well the mask seals on your face. If a mask has gaps, your chances of becoming infected increase.

  • In general, earloop masks don’t fit as well as headstraps. You can get accessories to tighten an earloop mask around the back of your head, but headstrap masks are the better bet if you want consistent fit.

  • People like earloop masks as they’re easier to take on and off and often come in fun colours, but if infection prevention is the goal, consider upgrading to a headstrap.

  • For more on Fit Factor check out this awesome video by Lola Germs. Her Covid related content is accessible, fun and educational!

• Shape Your Nose Wire!

  • I really can’t stress this one enough, make sure you shape your nose wire! Don’t just crease it once and assume that’s good enough, you need to mold it to your face and ensure it’s flush with your skin.

  • If it’s uncomfortable, try a 3M Aura mask as they have comfort foam on the nose wire.

  • You could also upgrade to an elastometric which have silicone around the face to reduce the pressure on the bridge of the nose.

  • For more on how to shape a nose wire, check out this video featuring ParentMishMash on twitter/X:

    

    Image Description: A photo of someone wearing a grey respirator demonstrating the difference between a pointy bifold nose wire and a properly shaped nose wire with ends bent down to fit cheeks

• Donning and Doffing Matters

  • It’s important to learn how to don and doff your mask correctly.

  • Do not touch the outside of the mask. Remove it carefully by the earloops or the headstraps and wash hands well after touching it.

  • When you’re putting it on, cup your hands over your face and blow out hard. This is a quick and easy way to ensure you’re getting as good a seal as possible.

  • If re-using the mask, make sure to place it somewhere safe where you won’t be touching it and where it won’t come into contact with clean masks.

• What About Glasses?

  • If you wear glasses, you’ve undoubtedly dealt with the issue of them fogging up when wearing a mask.

  • Fit makes a big difference here. If you shape your nose wire correctly and have a tight seal, you will experience considerably less fogging.

  • Many folks report elastometrics reducing fogging as well.

• Waste Not, Want Not

  • Respirators are more expensive than their surgical counterparts, but the good news is they can be re-used.

  • There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about how long they can be re-used for. Some people say eight hours, others say you can go until the straps break or the seal is impacted. There’s a great guide here from PPE Supply Canada about how to re-use an N95.

  • I decide how long to re-use based on what I’m wearing the mask for. If I’m wearing it to a hospital, it gets discarded as soon as I’m home. Hospital settings are too high risk and I always wear a fresh mask.

  • If I’m wearing in other situations, I go by the 8-12 hours rule unless the mask becomes wet or soiled in some way.

  • I have a wall mounted rack to hang masks after use. It has seven hooks and I rotate through them until it’s time to throw one out. This saves money and is better for the environment than tossing after each use.

  • Speaking of the environment, consider upgrading to an Elastometric mask!

• You Keep Using the World Elastometric…

  • Yes! I do! They’re a great option for an environmentally friendly and more comfortable respirator.

  • The most popular one among the Covid Cautious crowd is the Flo Mask, which comes in adult and children’s sizes.

  • There are many on the market, and if you look at safety and industrial websites and brands you may be surprised at the cost savings.

  • A great Canadian option is Dentec, and in the United States 3M makes a wide variety of respirators.

  • Many elastometrics will also allow you to upgrade the cartridge which serves as the filter. You can then choose what you want to filter out. Viruses, smoke and pollen are one thing, but many of these masks can also filter VOCs and gasses (great for people with MCAS).

• How To Choose the Right Mask for Your Face

  • One of the best ways to choose a mask is to buy a sample kit. Many companies sell kits that contain multiple brands of respirators so you can test them out and see what’s right for you.

  • If you’re in Canada, Canada Strong Masks offers sample options: https://canadastrong.ca/collections/other-items-from-canada-strong

  • Another option in Canada is Donate a Mask, a charity which operates a shop and also supplies high quality respirators to those who can’t afford them. If you want to support this awesome company, you can purchase sample packs from them here.

  • If you’re in another part of the world, I highly recommend checking for a local Mask Bloc. These are volunteer run organizations which are committed to getting respirators to anyone who wants one.

  • You can also find sizing charts on some websites to help you choose the best fit. Here’s one from Canada Strong Masks which features many brands available in the US and Canada.

  • 

    Image Description: A respirator size chart from Canada Strong Masks

• Where Can I Buy My Masks?

  • This one is tricky since the answer varies by country.

  • Many people have reported getting counterfeits via Amazon, so use caution if buying off that site.

  • I would contact a local mask bloc for recommendations and/or check industrial supply type stores as they will likely be your best and most consistent source.

  • Often places like Home Depot or Staples will sell them as well.

• Can I Fit Test at Home?

  • You can! There are many excellent resources for doing at home fit tests that I encourage people to explore.

  • It’s also possible that you may have someone in your local community that offers fit testing. If you have a local Covid Cautious group or mask bloc it would be worth asking.

  • I will link a few resources to help get folks started. Here’s a home fit testing kit: https://fittests4all.bigcartel.com/product/home-fit-test-1

  • Another kit with detailed instructions: https://mathburritos.org/fit-test-kit-v1/

  • For help and support, there’s a Discord server dedicated to fit testing: Fit Testing for Everyone, Fit Test Community

  • I want to emphasize that if you can’t access fit testing, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear your respirator. Try and find the one with the best seal, make sure you always adjust the nose wire, and keep your mask on. You can also use medical tape to help improve the seal if your skin can tolerate it.

• Any Mask is Better Than No Mask

  • I’ve given a lot of information on how to get the best possible mask that will give you the most protection against airborne viruses, but I want to make it clear that any mask is better than no mask.

  • Too often I see people falling into the trap of not masking because they can’t afford or don’t like the better quality masks.

  • I believe it’s important to recognize the limitations of a surgical, earloop or cloth mask, while also committing to not shaming people for their mask choice.

  • Last January I suffered a severe wrist sprain, and as I prepared to go to the hospital I realized I physically couldn’t get my headstrap N99 on. It wasn’t possible to do with one hand, and my sprained wrist couldn’t manage. So I wore the best earloop N95 I could find because it was far better than nothing.

  • With so few people masking, the odds of getting infected when wearing a subpar mask are higher, but they aren’t as high as if you wore no mask at all.

  • More importantly, and this is something we don’t talk about enough, if you are masking you are protecting those around you. Even if you’re only in a surgical mask. If we could get more people masking, our individual protection wouldn’t have to be flawless in order to be effective.

  • On that note, if you can’t do the headband style respirators, Canada Masq’s Q100 earloop is CSA certified and many people have reported that it passes fit tests.

  • The Q100 is my go-to if I can’t wear a headstrap, but the Vitacore N99 is the mask I use most often. It has the added bonus of being MRI safe which means I don’t have to remove it when I need scans. I also have a Dentec half face respirator. I’m not sponsored or compensated for recommending these products, I just want to share with readers what works for me.

• Don’t Neglect Your Eyes!

  • This post may be dedicated to masks, but I want to encourage people to ensure their eyes are protected as well.

  • It’s not as common an infection route, but Covid can transmit via the eyes. Bird flu is well known to infect the eyes, and it’s recommended you wear a respirator and eye protection around sick animals.

  • There have even been studies to show that wearing eyeglasses may reduce your odds of getting Covid.

  • There are many options for eye protection. You could get a face shield, goggles or stoggles. I like stoggles because I find them very comfortable and they can almost pass for regular glasses. The ones I wear wrap around the eye and I’ve never had an issue with fogging. You can find them on Amazon here.

Image Description: A photo of David Lynch in a black suit and tie wearing an FBI badge. Green text reads “FIX YOUR HEARTS OR DIE!”

Fix Your Hearts or Die

I know there are many people who don’t want to hear this, but the world as we knew it in 2019 is gone. The rush ‘back to normal’ was done for the sake of the economy, not because it was truly ‘safe’ or that the threat had passed.

I genuinely don’t know if we’re ever going to get back to the way things were before Covid. The longer people remain in denial and refuse to adapt, the more entrenched in this mirage of normal we become. The mirage is killing and disabling people by the millions.

We need to start adapting. As David Lynch, who passed away recently after spending the last year of his life in isolation trying to avoid Covid, famously said, Fix Your Hearts or Die. We have to fix our hearts. We have to start caring about one another and putting the lives of the most vulnerable at the forefront. We have to be brave enough to admit that our 2019 version of ‘normal’ is gone.

When people troll me, I often get told that ‘survival of the fittest’ means I should just go die. That I don’t deserve to have lived this long. But that’s not what survival of the fittest really means. It was never about who was healthiest, it was about who was most adaptable.

The people who survive are the ones most capable of changing to suit their environment, and I would argue that disabled people are uniquely prepared to meet that challenge.

Those of us with chronic health issues adapted to the threat of Covid years ago. We never went ‘back to normal’ because we understood that normal was gone. We rose to the challenge. We’ve made changes in our lives to keep ourselves and those around us healthy, because that’s what needs to be done.

Unfortunately on a societal level we are completely failing to adapt. Most people are unwilling to make the smallest sacrifice for the good of others, many won’t even make a sacrifice to protect themselves.

They’ve bought the comfortable lie that Covid is over/mild, or they’ve decided that they’re not ‘vulnerable’ so they’re going to live their life without thinking about those who are.

We can’t continue on this way. The signs are everywhere that we are witnessing the collapse of public health. It’s likely that everyone is ‘vulnerable’ by now because they’ve had multiple Covid infections.

This is not a cold. It’s not a benign virus. It does damage to your body and much of that damage is silent… until it isn’t. So while you may believe you’re not vulnerable, there’s decent odds you’re wrong.

The truth of the matter is this… You can adapt now by choice, or be forced to adapt when you lose your health. There may be tiny odds that you could be one of the few exceptions who get through this completely unscathed, but why take that chance?

Why are people so willing to play Russian Roulette with their health when there are simple mitigations that could all but guarantee their safety and the safety of those around them?

Lack of ability to adapt? A need to cling to what they feel is ‘normal’? Fear of disability? Anger about how governments handled Covid? Political red pilling?

Whatever the reason, the result is the same. Millions and millions of people throwing their health away while also putting people like me at risk unnecessarily.

Let’s make a pact to adapt. Let’s start caring about one another again. Let’s recognize that even if we aren’t Americans, the US failure to manage public health will have devastating impacts around the globe. The sooner we start taking proactive measures to protect our health, the better.

Wear a mask, and make it the best one you can find. Clean and ventilate the air. Get your boosters. Avoid high risk activities. Support mask blocs and other organizations who are doing the work public health should have been doing the last five years.

Stand with disabled and vulnerable people and make a commitment to no longer treat them as expendable. Make a decision, here and now, that we are worth protecting. That YOU are worth protecting.

We can do this together.

Are you still masking? What’s your favourite mask? Do you have questions about how to up your mask game?

Leave a comment and let me know and I would be more than happy to help. Together we can ensure everyone is a little bit safer, and show governments that we are not going to give up protecting one another.