USA
As it is, we already are not currently able to obtain enough N95 Respirators to supply our first responders let alone the public workers, however, they are still recommending N95 masks to be reserved for those in " high risk" groups, as the cloth masks do not actually protect them from being infected, they only protect those wearing them from infecting others. The biggest problem with N95 and stronger respirators is if worn other than for brief periods, can reduce a wearers oxygen intake from anywhere from 5 to 20%, this is a problem, even for someone with no underlying conditions and not in a high risk group. For someone with existing breathing difficulties, this can be lethal. I too have found that I am unable to wear ANY mask, whether it is cloth, N95 or otherwise right now without having an extremely dangerous oxygen drop being a temperature regulated Asthmatic. Warm, Humid air is my biggest trigger and I need moving air in order to breathe comfortably. Once I have an attack start now, it can last for days, and even weeks before I can get it under control again, so even wearing for brief periods of time can become life threatening very quickly. Due to this issue, we luckily have had some very ingenuitive people working on this problem and trying to come up with solutions.
John Xu, for example, has combined an oxygen concentrator with a mask to resolve the issue of oxygen deprivation that comes with wearing masks:
"John Xu is a research scientist in the lab of mechanical engineer Friedrich āFritzā Prinz, where the two are known for their work on creating fuel cells for next-generation cars. When the novel coronavirus struck, they looked for ways their deep understanding of electrochemical processes might be useful against the pandemic. Their contribution is a new type of protective face mask that extracts and concentrates oxygen from the air to avoid the considerable side effects of oxygen deficiency while preventing the spread of the virus."
news.stanford.edu
I have also seen a number of different electrical options that basically install an electric fan, then you have a replaceable N95+ filter then you have an exhalation flap that only opens when you exhale at the bottom that also seems to work well. Most of them look something like this:
And though they have made some smaller versions, it is still going to be very uncomfortable and even painful to wear, and having a battery and fan is going to make any mask heavy by comparison.
I personally would like to see far more options become more widely available after this drawing attention to the shortages and the issues with the masks themselves. You do not want a surgeon passing out half way through a surgery due to oxygen deprivation and we really are hearing from many of our healthcare workers working extremely long shifts due to the pandemic having problems arise from not being able to breathe in the few masks they are able to get their hands on right now. Just like we can now go to a pharmacy and get an inhaler for Asthma, we ALSO need to be able to go out just as easily to get a mask that protects us and allows us to breathe. We need respirators to be more available overall, but we also can use this time to make them more effective and better suited for what we need them for.
I Likely need one that combines the oxygen concentrator , but not everyone is going to need something that extreme. Yes, it would be a pain to have to haul all that around with me, but would be worth it considering the alternative for me.Most people would need at least something to make it easier to breathe though than a cloth or N95 mask just to be able to work out at the gym due to how quickly your oxygen levels drop while exercising in a mask. If anyone else has seen any new tech that helps with this I would love to see it. It is apparent this isn't a problem that is going away any time soon, so we need options that will actually work for extended periods of time and that will actually protect the wearer as well. Often it is the most vulnerable populations that are also sitting in the waiting rooms at the Doctor's office alongside those with viruses and are contagious. The most vulnerable are also who often need to see the doctor far more often than any other population putting them at great risk.
John Xu, for example, has combined an oxygen concentrator with a mask to resolve the issue of oxygen deprivation that comes with wearing masks:
"John Xu is a research scientist in the lab of mechanical engineer Friedrich āFritzā Prinz, where the two are known for their work on creating fuel cells for next-generation cars. When the novel coronavirus struck, they looked for ways their deep understanding of electrochemical processes might be useful against the pandemic. Their contribution is a new type of protective face mask that extracts and concentrates oxygen from the air to avoid the considerable side effects of oxygen deficiency while preventing the spread of the virus."
Stanford researchers reengineer COVID-19 face masks
Stanford engineers have developed a new type of protective face mask that can counteract the side effects of oxygen deficiency.
news.stanford.edu
I have also seen a number of different electrical options that basically install an electric fan, then you have a replaceable N95+ filter then you have an exhalation flap that only opens when you exhale at the bottom that also seems to work well. Most of them look something like this:
And though they have made some smaller versions, it is still going to be very uncomfortable and even painful to wear, and having a battery and fan is going to make any mask heavy by comparison.
I personally would like to see far more options become more widely available after this drawing attention to the shortages and the issues with the masks themselves. You do not want a surgeon passing out half way through a surgery due to oxygen deprivation and we really are hearing from many of our healthcare workers working extremely long shifts due to the pandemic having problems arise from not being able to breathe in the few masks they are able to get their hands on right now. Just like we can now go to a pharmacy and get an inhaler for Asthma, we ALSO need to be able to go out just as easily to get a mask that protects us and allows us to breathe. We need respirators to be more available overall, but we also can use this time to make them more effective and better suited for what we need them for.
I Likely need one that combines the oxygen concentrator , but not everyone is going to need something that extreme. Yes, it would be a pain to have to haul all that around with me, but would be worth it considering the alternative for me.Most people would need at least something to make it easier to breathe though than a cloth or N95 mask just to be able to work out at the gym due to how quickly your oxygen levels drop while exercising in a mask. If anyone else has seen any new tech that helps with this I would love to see it. It is apparent this isn't a problem that is going away any time soon, so we need options that will actually work for extended periods of time and that will actually protect the wearer as well. Often it is the most vulnerable populations that are also sitting in the waiting rooms at the Doctor's office alongside those with viruses and are contagious. The most vulnerable are also who often need to see the doctor far more often than any other population putting them at great risk.
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