Aren’t those less effective at protecting other people than using a mask without a valve?
Yes. On the other hand they have less condensation, are easier to breathe in, and are generally much easier to find in higher protection factors (I’m not aware of any valveless 99%+ efficacy masks)
N95 is generally considered adequate for infection control. N99 is more for industrial applications, as I understand it, and is typically harder to breathe through.
It’s just a matter of probabilities. Compare a well-sealed N95 vs P100 performing to spec, and the latter will filter more. In an environment where out of 100 people one would get sick with a P100, perhaps 5 would get sick with an N95.
(In real-world usage, especially among non-experts, though, there’s typically some leakage around the edge of the mask, which reduces the difference between them)
I noticed that mask has an exhalation valve. Aren’t those less effective at protecting other people than using a mask without a valve?
Yes. On the other hand they have less condensation, are easier to breathe in, and are generally much easier to find in higher protection factors (I’m not aware of any valveless 99%+ efficacy masks)
N95 is generally considered adequate for infection control. N99 is more for industrial applications, as I understand it, and is typically harder to breathe through.
It’s just a matter of probabilities. Compare a well-sealed N95 vs P100 performing to spec, and the latter will filter more. In an environment where out of 100 people one would get sick with a P100, perhaps 5 would get sick with an N95.
(In real-world usage, especially among non-experts, though, there’s typically some leakage around the edge of the mask, which reduces the difference between them)