A few months ago, most of us had never heard of an N95 respirator or mask. I had never heard of it. It is an essential element of Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, which we have all heard so much about. The N refers to ‘non-oil’, meaning that the mask should not be used in the presence of oil-based substances. The 95 means that 95% of airborne particles are screened out if the mask is worn properly. Keep in mind that 95% is less than perfect. It means that the mask will fail 5% of the time. And, if the mask is not worn with a tight seal, the efficiency percentage will drop further. And, the mask wearer is instructed not to adjust the mask during use which will break the seal. So, the 95% standard is likely under idealized circumstances. As of this writing, I have only worn the N95 mask on two occasions. My initial experience donning the mask was for a fit testing by an occupational health specialist to verify my proper mask size. The objective, I learn
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.