These are the current drafts of the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and About; much of it is reworked from the existing Privacy Policy and About, but there are some additions. No material change from the current operating procedures/policies is intended.

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Terms

These Terms of Service (“terms”) govern your access to or use of zeroes.ca, its associated resources, platforms, representatives, operators, administrators, moderators (“zeroes”, “we”). By accessing or using zeroes, you agree to abide by these terms and the server rules, to use zeroes in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, and to respect the rights and safety of others. Your use of zeroes is also governed by the Privacy Policy, which explains how zeroes collects, uses, and protects your data, as well as the laws of Canada, in which zeroes' infrastructure is located and from which zeroes is operated. These terms may be updated from time to time. Material changes will be announced in advance. Continued access or use of zeroes after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. To contact zeroes regarding these terms, please use any of the contact methods listed on zeroes.ca or links.zeroes.ca. You may delete your account at any time. You may only access or use zeroes provided you are at least sixteen (16) years old. If you do not agree to these terms or do not fulfill the requirements, you may not access or use zeroes.

moderation

We reserve the right to remove any content, account, or federated server that we determine to be in violation of our server rules or otherwise detrimental to zeroes. We strive to address all reports within twenty-four (24) hours. You will not be notified of punitive actions pursuant to any reports you make and not all punitive actions are externally visible.

provision

Zeroes prioritizes reliability, but guarantees neither uptime nor access. If functionality or features are added, altered, or discontinued, we will make reasonable efforts to notify in advance. Zeroes is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, nor guarantees of accuracy, availability, or security. To the maximum extent permitted by law, zeroes shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of your accesss or use of zeroes.

content

Your posts will be sent to other servers with which we federate but do not control. Your posts will be delivered to at least the servers where eligible followers reside. Private Mentions will be delivered to the servers of tagged recipients. Posts set to Local-only will not be delivered to any other servers. From time to time we also employ various relays to which all Public posts will be sent and to which other servers may subscribe. In the event you delete a post, zeroes makes reasonable efforts to honour deletion requests across the network, though we cannot guarantee remote deletion. Content on zeroes is copyright its creator unless otherwise explicitly designated by them. Scraping zeroes for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

This document is CC-BY-SA. Adapted from the c.im terms of service

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Privacy

This privacy policy describes how zeroes.ca and its associated resources, platforms, representatives, operators, administrators, moderators (“zeroes”, “we”) collects, protects and uses the personally identifiable information you may provide to/through zeroes. The policy also describes the choices available to you regarding zeroes' use of your personal information and how you can access and update this information. This policy does not apply to the practices of companies that zeroes does not own or control, or to individuals that zeroes does not employ or manage. Zeroes is hosted on servers owned by OVH and as such we also comply with their terms and conditions.

What information does zeroes collect?

• Basic account information: If you register on zeroes, you may be asked to enter a username, an e-mail address, and a password. You may also enter additional profile information (e.g., display name, biography) and upload an avatar / profile picture and header image. The username, display name, biography, profile picture, and header image are always listed publicly.
• Posts, following, and other public information: The lists of people you follow and who follow you are public by default. When you submit a message, the date and time is stored as well as the application from which you submitted the message. Messages may contain media attachments (e.g., pictures, videos). Public and unlisted posts are available publicly. Posts you set as features on your profile are public. When your posts are delivered to your followers, in some cases it means they are delivered to different servers, which store copies of them. When you delete posts, this is likewise delivered to your followers. The action of boosting or favouriting another post can also be public.
• Direct and followers-only posts: All posts are stored and processed on zeroes. Followers-only posts are delivered to your followers and users who are mentioned in them. Private Mention posts are delivered only to users mentioned in them. In some cases, they are delivered to different servers, which store copies of them. We make a good faith effort to limit the access to those posts only to authorized persons, but other servers may fail to do so. Therefore, it is important to review the servers to which your followers belong. You may toggle an option in 'settings' which will allow you to manually approve or reject new followers. Although zeroes administrators who have been explicitly given database access do have the technical capability to view such messages, we have a zero-tolerance policy prohibiting such actions. Administrators of any receiving server(s) also have the technical capability to view such messages and any recipient(s) may screenshot, copy, or otherwise disseminate them. Do not share any sensitive information over zeroes — the exception being an end-to-end-encrypted Matrix room on talk.zeroes.ca.
• IPs and other metadata: When you log in, zeroes records the IP address from which you log in, as well as the name of your web browser or app. All the logged-in sessions are available in 'settings' for your review and revocation. The latest IP address used is stored for up to twelve (12) months. We also may retain logs which include the IP address of every request to zeroes.

What does zeroes use your information for?

Any of the information zeroes collects from you may be used in the following ways: – To provide the core functionality of zeroes; e.g., you may follow other people to view their combined posts in your own personalized home timeline. (You can only interact with other people's content and post your own content when you are logged in.) – To aid moderation of zeroes; e.g., comparing your IP address with other known IP addresses to determine violation of community rules, malicious, or unlawful activities. – The email address you provide may be used to send you information; e.g., notifications about other accounts interacting with your content, sending you messages in response to enquiries, requests for support, et al.

How does zeroes protect your information?

Zeroes implements a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you enter, submit, or access your personal information; e.g., we encrypt traffic between your browsers and applications and zeroes infrastructure; your password is hashed using a strong one-way algorithm; you can enable two-factor authentication to further secure access to your account.

What is zeroes' data retention policy?

Zeroes will make a good faith effort to: – Retain server logs containing the IP address of all requests, insofar as such logs are kept, no more than ninety (90) days. – Retain the IP addresses associated with registered users no more than twelve (12) months.

You may request a downloadable archive of your content, including your posts, media attachments, profile picture, and header image.

You may delete your account at any time.

Does zeroes use cookies?

Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer via your web browser, if your settings so permit. These cookies enable zeroes to recognize your browser and associate it with your registered account, if you have one.

We use cookies to save any adjustments you make in 'settings' for future visits.

Does zeroes disclose any information to outside parties?

Zeroes does not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third-parties who assist zeroes in operating, conducting business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information to enforce policies, to protect zeroes' or others' rights, property, or safety, or when compelled by law,

Your public posts will be sent to other servers. Your posts will be delivered to at least the servers where eligible followers reside. Private Mentions will be delivered to the servers of tagged recipients. Posts set to Local-only will not be delivered to any other servers.

When you authorize an application to use your account, depending on the scope of permissions you approve, it may access your public profile information, your following list, your followers, your lists, all your posts, and your favourites. Applications can never access your email address or password.

This document is CC-BY-SA. Adapted from the Mastodon.social and Discourse privacy policies

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About

*.zeroes.ca

who, what, when, where, why

Zeroes is a community of folks who are #StillMasking because we recognize that #CovidIsNotOver. The flagship Mastodon instance #ZeroesCA sent its first toot on April 27th, 2022 and has since been joined by Talk, Write, Pix, Links, Groups, and Music. We welcome like-minded people from all over the world. We're here for dissemination of science, experience, information, and ideas; to foster conversation and discussion; to ask questions and seek answers; to build connections and support each other.

software

Zeroes runs the free, open-source software Glitch-soc (a friendly fork of Mastodon) with Authorized Fetch enabled, ElasticSearch, LibreTranslate, 5k character limit, 10 poll questions, Tangerine themes, PhanPy, Elk, Mangane, as well as Matrix (Element/Synapse), WriteFreely, Pixelfed, LinkStack, Friendica, and Faircamp. We permit bird.makeup and brid.gy/Bluesky. We suspend alt-fedi and Threads/Meta.

hardware

Zeroes currently leases VPS, dedicated, and cloud servers and services from OVHcloud in Beauharnois, QC.

moderation

Zeroes endeavours to provide an environment conducive to community and communication and hostile to unlawful, malicious, anti-social behaviour. We realize you're human and we are too, so we'll do our best to be fair yet protective. When reporting accounts, please include posts that show rule-breaking behaviour (when applicable) and detailed context in the comment/note, so as to help us fully understand the situation and take appropriate action — this is especially important when it is a language in which moderators are not fluent.

funding

Donations can be made through Ko-fi or Liberapay.

transparency

We are a non-commercial website and have no interest, financial or otherwise, in collecting user data or activity. As of August 19, 2026, we have not been served any secret court orders or law enforcement warrants.

scraping

Content on this site is copyright its creator unless otherwise explicitly designated by them. Scraping for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out via any of the contact methods listed on this site or links.zeroes.ca

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Rules

🚫 covid denial, covid minimizing 🚫 misinfo, disinfo 🚫 unlawful content 🚫 incitement of violence, promotion of violent ideologies 🚫 harassment, dogpiling, doxxing, brigading, bullying 🚫 racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism 🚫 squatting, impersonation 🚫 infrastructure abuse, manipulation 🚫 spam, reply spamming, sexually-explicit content 🚫 being a jerk, friendly-fire, bringing zeroes.ca into disrepute

Hello world! I'm trying to get this blog working!

So WriteFreely allows anyone with an email address to subscribe to your blog now..

Testing 1,2,3

#EmailSubscribers

In 2024, we’ve got plenty of reasons to mask up. From pollen, air pollution and wildfire smoke outdoors to environmental allergens like dust and mold and airborne viruses like COVID-19 indoors, the air is chockfull of toxic contaminants clamouring to wreak havoc on our noses, lungs, and vascular systems.

More than ever before, we’re spoilt for choices of N95 respirators as new styles and brands have quietly burst onto the scene in recent years. But without a reliable one-stop site to monitor air quality and virus spread, many folks don’t know when and where to wear an N95 respirator, much less which one to wear.

You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed and under-informed — but don’t despair! With this little crash course in available N95 respirators, you’ll be on your way to reducing exposures to airborne toxins in any season.

A Quick Intro to the N95

The N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) is a disposable face covering designed to protect the wearer from inhaling dangerous airborne particulates. An FFR is generally comprised of several layers of melt-blown polypropylene fabric and two elastic head straps. Modern day FFRs often contain an electret filter, a layer with an electrostatic charge to trap particles. Some FFRs are treated to be fluid resistant for medical use. The N95 label represents a combination of the filter’s oil resistance (Not oil resistant) and efficiency level (at least 95% protection against airborne particles) as determined by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standards.

The disposable molded cup respirator has been a standard piece of industrial personal protective equipment (PPE) since the 1970s. In 1995, the electret filter was patented and introduced into medical settings to protect against virus spread. The N95 electret filter respirator has long been considered an effective tool to help protect against airborne diseases, though we’ve yet to earnestly employ them during widespread virus surges.

Although they are ubiquitous and cheap, the blue, pleated surgical mask is not N95 rated and not designed to protect the wearer from airborne particulates. This mask is predominately meant for blocking the wearer’s moist expulsions from contaminating the air. The pleated surgical mask was introduced as an emergency alternative to N95 at a time when there was a shortage of respirator manufacturers to meet demand.

Respirators can be used in a variety of situations where air quality is compromised. Maintenance workers might use respirators when dealing with dust and occupational hazards. People with allergies have been encouraged to consider using respirators/masks during pollen season or prolonged exposure to indoor allergens. Cyclists commuting in urban environments may use masks to guard against vehicle fumes and roadwork dust. Respirators are often recommended for use in wildfire smoke conditions. See more at IQAir about air pollution and masking.

Face Your Face

While it was once believed that an N95 respirator could be one-size-fits-all, this was discovered — through flawed real world application and improved testing procedures — not to be the case. Over the past two decades, manufacturers have produced several alternative styles to the traditional molded cup and now offer a wider range of shapes and sizes to better accommodate a broad assortment facial types and to maximize protection.

If you’ve grown up reading and being influenced by women’s magazines, you’ve no doubt encountered countless shopping guides devoted to buying the best swimsuit or little black dress for your body type or choosing the most flattering hairstyle or eyebrow arch for your face shape. It seems like a no-brainer that we should have something similar for mask shopping. However, as everyone has a unique combination of features and needs — and fit is vital in protecting against the smallest infectious particulates — putting together a breezy “find a flattering mask for your face shape” shopping guide is a daunting challenge. That said, with a few key measurements and a little patience, you might just find your new favourite wardrobe staple.

Determine Your Face Shape

Grab a flexible measuring tape and open the Face Shape Calculator. Following the instructions for the calculator, take your measurements to determine your general face shape — oval, round, oblong/rectangular, square, triangle, diamond, and heart. While face shapes don’t necessarily correlate with respirator/mask styles, knowing your facial measurements will give you an idea of what dimensions to look for in a respirator. As a bonus, you’ll be able to find out which chic hat or sophisticated sunglasses best suits your face shape when you want a fashionable accessory to detract from/complement your respirator.

Factor in Facial Features

It’s not just the length of your jaw or breadth of your cheeks that can influence fit. Facial features can change how a respirator feels and behaves on your face. For example, a respirator with a nose clip designed for a low nose bridge may not find purchase on someone with a high nose bridge. Respirators with shallow depth may press uncomfortably on longer noses or brush against pouty lips, while larger sized respirators may sit awkwardly under the eyes and obstruct vision.

Your hair, or lack thereof, may determine how the head straps sit around your head and neck. Straps might slide out of place on fine, smooth hair or get tangled in thicker hair with lots of layers. People with beards often have to wrestle with sacrificing facial hair for optimum respirator fit.

Consider Your Accessories

Compatibility between your existing accessories and your respirator is a valid concern, especially if you rely on an accessory like eyeglasses or hearing aids.

Many people have issues with fogging glasses, even when otherwise there seems to be a good seal. Parts of your own glasses (nose bridge, lens height, and temple arm) may impact respirator fit, head strap/ear loop placement, and long-term comfort. Similarly, hearing aids or assistive device worn on the head may challenge the fit or conflict with a respirator’s shape.

If you have facial piercings, you might need to adjust the size of your jewellery or remove it altogether while using the respirator.

Choose Your Toxic Air Fighter

If you’ve ever shopped for a pair of jeans, you know there’s multiple factors that go into fit — inseam and waist measurements, rise (distance between waistband to crotch seam), leg taper, fabric density, and fly closure. Even when the measurements on the label seem right, a pair of jeans can still fit poorly, with weird bulges in the fly zipper and embarrassing exposures in the backside when you sit or bend over. So, you try out a bunch of different brands and styles until you get a decent fit that’s comfortable and, preferably, flattering.

The hardest part of shopping for respirators is figuring out what to buy without being able to try them on first. Many online retailers don’t provide detailed dimensions of respirators, only cursory packaged dimensions or, if the product is available in multiple sizes, indicate a general small, medium, or large— and if you’ve shopped for any type of clothing, you know that one brand’s small is another brand’s medium. So, you won’t know what kind of weird bulges and embarrassing exposures you’ll experience until your order arrives.

In an ideal world, we’d have sterile, well-ventilated boutiques with expert staff to help the average consumer find the right style and offer complimentary qualitative fit testing onsite. At the least, ordering a box of respirators should be as easy as ordering prescription glasses online is these days. How nice it’d be to input some key measurements or upload your photo for a virtual try-on of various PPE. As it is, we’re relying on word of mouth reviews and vague sizing guides.

Basic Respirator Styles

Disposable N95 respirators are currently available in four basic styles — molded cup, vertical bi-fold, horizontal tri-fold, and duckbill flat-fold. None of these styles are particularly attractive, especially the NIOSH-approved models with the necessary but garish labelling stamped across the front.

Until bureaucracy prioritizes personal vanity on par with health and safety, it’s going to be pretty tough to feel cute in a glaringly white facepiece with protruding seams and conspicuous head straps. If you’re willing to forego official NIOSH approval for something more fashionable, you’ll find KN95 and KF94 masks in a wide range of colours.

• Molded Cup

The rigid molded cup respirator, what you might think of as a dust mask, is the one of the oldest styles and perhaps the most familiar. Its polypropylene layers are melt-blown into the cup shape that rests over the nose and mouth. The head straps and nose clip help to improve the seal on the face.

Molded cup N95 respirators are generally white, but the fluid-resistant surgical respirators may be a blue or teal colour. Some brands may offer small, medium, and large sizes.

This style is easy to find at hardware stores, but be sure not to confuse them with the common dust masks. Look for the N95 rating and NIOSH logo.

• Bi-fold / Vertical Flat-fold

The vertical bi-fold respirator has a similar shape to the molded cup, but has soft, flexible polypropylene panels that fit more snugly to the cheeks. Its vertical centre seam adds structure and depth to the facepiece for improved breathability and facial movement without compromising the seal. Respirator folds flat when not in use.

NIOSH-approved vertical bi-fold N95s have head straps and are mostly found in white. A couple of manufacturers do produce black N95s with head straps but they sell out fast. For a vertical bi-fold in assorted colours with ear loops, look for KN95 and KF94 masks from specialty PPE shops.

Vertical bi-fold respirators can be found in teen/small sizes as well as large and extra-large sizes from online shops specializing in respirators and related PPE, as well as hardware stores and medical supply retailers.

• Horizontal Tri-fold / Three-panel Flat-fold

The horizontal tri-fold respirator is one of the most popular styles of respirator on the market. It consists of three polypropylene panels — one that sits over the nose bridge, one that extends under the chin, and one that spans the front of the face. The seams joining the panels sit flat and run horizontally across the face, making for a smoother profile. Similar to the vertical bi-fold style, the three-panel respirator folds flat for easy storage.

Three-panel respirators with NIOSH-approval are typically white with head straps while KN95 and KF94 models are available in colourful versions with ear loops.

This style of respirator is available in multiple sizes, including kids’ size, from medical supply retailers and online shops specializing in respirators and related PPE. Tri-fold respirators may also be known as boat fold, fish fold, or willow leaf fold.

• Horizontal Bi-fold Pouch / Duckbill

The duckbill or pouch respirator is a horizontal flat-fold with a deeper polypropylene facepiece. Some models have more pronounced horizontal seams along the front, creating its exaggerated duckbill appearance. The duckbill/pouch is often considered to be one of the most comfortable respirators, in spite of its quirky exterior.

NIOSH-approved duckbill respirators are generally white with head straps and are available in small and large sizes from PPE retailers and medical supply shops.

Most respirators have a metal or aluminum nose clip at the bridge built into the nose bridge or affixed to the exterior of the facepiece. Some models include a thin foam strip along the nose bridge for comfort and fit. A lot of respirators have head straps made from soft braided elastic but a few are still outfitted with rubber bands.

Just like jeans and other fitted clothing, respirator sizes can vary slightly between manufacturers and even between models from the same manufacturer. For example, one three-panel boat fold might have a deeper nose bridge panel than another or a vertical bi-fold may have a shorter, shallower facepiece than one listed as the same size. If a style you like doesn’t work in one brand, try a few models before dismissing the style altogether.

Several dedicated PPE supply shops online offer sample kits with assorted N95 styles and sizes for a fraction of the cost for a full box. If this option is available in your region, try ordering sample kits from several shops for the widest selection of styles and models. Some sample kits may also include specialty respirators that are strapless or have a silicone seal.

For more in-depth information regarding individual respirator size, fit, and filtration efficiency, refer to Mask Nerd Aaron Collins’ videos. His spreadsheet covers countless respirator brands, styles, and models. Start there to see what gets top marks and search for those at reputable PPE online shops.

Respirator Certification

If having the maximum possible protection against exposure to viruses and pollutants is important to you, you’ll want a NIOSH/CE-certified respirator. Certified respirators have generally been rigorously tested by established agencies to meet OSHA guidelines for worker safety.

NIOSH is the United States’ federal agency for researching and recommending preventive measures for work-related illness and injury. CE (Conformité Européenne) is the mark indicating that a product complies with EU (European Union) safety standards.

Note the slight difference in the two certifications — NIOSH requires N95 respirators to meet certain criteria for fit testing whereas CE certification may not explicitly require fit testing for respirators.

Although N95 has become shorthand for disposable respirators, the FFR may have different designations depending on region and regulations. Respirators considered to be N95 equivalent include the FFP2 in the EU; the P2 in Australia, India, and Brazil; and the DS2 in Japan.

Many PPE suppliers offer KF94 and KN95 masks, N95-equivalent respirators from South Korea and China, respectively. The KF94 and KN95 are available in a wide range of colours and patterns in the vertical bi-fold and three-panel boat fold styles. They aren’t considered proper N95 as they don’t meet the NIOSH requirement for occupational use respirators to be equipped with head straps. This distinction may also be why you’ll see KF94 and KN95 referred to as masks instead of respirators.

Fit Testing

Fit is key in masking, though, what you may think of as fit in casual fashion terms is not necessarily the same as fit in technical respirator protection terms.

Ideally, you want a tight seal around your face so that there is no inward or outward leakage of air between your face and the respirator. Fit testing is a process to make sure your chosen respirator effectively seals against particulates.

Qualitative fit testing (QLFT) is a pass/fail test of the respirator’s seal. The costly test kit includes a hood, two nebulizers, and two tasting solutions (sweet and bitter). If the wearer can pass a series of exercises without tasting the solutions as they are released into the hood, the respirator is well-fitted. Generally, QLFT is conducted for use in workplaces where proper fit is mandatory.

User seal check is a quick self test you can do that requires no special equipment. Immediately after putting on your respirator, check for gaps and leaks by cupping your hands in front of your face and gently exhaling and inhaling. If you feel air escaping from the edges of the respirator, try adjusting the nose clip and head straps/ear loops or switch to an alternate style or size of respirator. Refer to the CDC’s tutorial for more detailed guidance on how to do a user seal check.

Where to Shop

Until someone opens that chain of PPE boutiques that stocks all our favourite respirators, the easiest way to find what you’re looking for is to order online.

Though they no longer sell PPE, Project N95 currently continues to maintain their site as a repository of available respirators and direct links for purchase. It’s a good place to start your search for lesser-known brands.

Some manufacturers operate their own online storefronts or provide a list of dealers that carry their products. Respirators from 3M, one of the oldest PPE manufacturers, are often stocked at big box hardware stores and PPE retailers.

Retailers like Amazon, with third-party marketplace sellers should be avoided as listings are often dubious or confusing and sellers may be offering knock-offs and fakes.

Ultimately, the best way to find what works for you is through old-fashioned trial-and-error. With your measurements in hand, you can narrow down the options for certified respirators in the style you prefer.

If you anticipate living through the 21st century and visiting a variety of crowded stores and musty old buildings during pollen and flu seasons as wind pushes wildfire smoke and smog through your region, and you don’t want to spend valuable time puzzling over why you’ve got a scratchy throat and runny nose, a respirator could save you time as well as literal and figurative headaches.

In 2024, we’ve got plenty of reasons to mask up. From pollen, air pollution and wildfire smoke outdoors to environmental allergens like dust and mold and airborne viruses like COVID-19 indoors, the air is chockfull of toxic contaminants clamouring to wreak havoc on our noses, lungs, and vascular systems.

More than ever before, we’re spoilt for choices of N95 respirators as new styles and brands have quietly burst onto the scene in recent years. But without a reliable one-stop site to monitor air quality and virus spread, many folks don’t know when and where to wear an N95 respirator, much less which one to wear.

You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed and under-informed — but don’t despair! With this little crash course in available N95 respirators, you’ll be on your way to reducing exposures to airborne toxins in any season.

A Quick Intro to the N95

The N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) is a disposable face covering designed to protect the wearer from inhaling dangerous airborne particulates. An FFR is generally comprised of several layers of melt-blown polypropylene fabric and two elastic head straps. Modern day FFRs often contain an electret filter, a layer with an electrostatic charge to trap particles. Some FFRs are treated to be fluid resistant for medical use. The N95 label represents a combination of the filter’s oil resistance (Not oil resistant) and efficiency level (at least 95% protection against airborne particles) as determined by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standards.

The disposable molded cup respirator has been a standard piece of industrial personal protective equipment (PPE) since the 1970s. In 1995, the electret filter was patented and introduced into medical settings to protect against virus spread. The N95 electret filter respirator has long been considered an effective tool to help protect against airborne diseases, though we’ve yet to earnestly employ them during widespread virus surges.

Although they are ubiquitous and cheap, the blue, pleated surgical mask is not N95 rated and not designed to protect the wearer from airborne particulates. This mask is predominately meant for blocking the wearer’s moist expulsions from contaminating the air. The pleated surgical mask was introduced as an emergency alternative to N95 at a time when there was a shortage of respirator manufacturers to meet demand.

Respirators can be used in a variety of situations where air quality is compromised. Maintenance workers might use respirators when dealing with dust and occupational hazards. People with allergies have been encouraged to consider using respirators/masks during pollen season or prolonged exposure to indoor allergens. Cyclists commuting in urban environments may use masks to guard against vehicle fumes and roadwork dust. Respirators are often recommended for use in wildfire smoke conditions. See more at IQAir about air pollution and masking.

Face Your Face

While it was once believed that an N95 respirator could be one-size-fits-all, this was discovered — through flawed real world application and improved testing procedures — not to be the case. Over the past two decades, manufacturers have produced several alternative styles to the traditional molded cup and now offer a wider range of shapes and sizes to better accommodate a broad assortment facial types and to maximize protection.

If you’ve grown up reading and being influenced by women’s magazines, you’ve no doubt encountered countless shopping guides devoted to buying the best swimsuit or little black dress for your body type or choosing the most flattering hairstyle or eyebrow arch for your face shape. It seems like a no-brainer that we should have something similar for mask shopping. However, as everyone has a unique combination of features and needs — and fit is vital in protecting against the smallest infectious particulates — putting together a breezy “find a flattering mask for your face shape” shopping guide is a daunting challenge. That said, with a few key measurements and a little patience, you might just find your new favourite wardrobe staple.

Determine Your Face Shape

Grab a flexible measuring tape and open the Face Shape Calculator. Following the instructions for the calculator, take your measurements to determine your general face shape — oval, round, oblong/rectangular, square, triangle, diamond, and heart. While face shapes don’t necessarily correlate with respirator/mask styles, knowing your facial measurements will give you an idea of what dimensions to look for in a respirator. As a bonus, you’ll be able to find out which chic hat or sophisticated sunglasses best suits your face shape when you want a fashionable accessory to detract from/complement your respirator.

Factor in Facial Features

It’s not just the length of your jaw or breadth of your cheeks that can influence fit. Facial features can change how a respirator feels and behaves on your face. For example, a respirator with a nose clip designed for a low nose bridge may not find purchase on someone with a high nose bridge. Respirators with shallow depth may press uncomfortably on longer noses or brush against pouty lips, while larger sized respirators may sit awkwardly under the eyes and obstruct vision.

Your hair, or lack thereof, may determine how the head straps sit around your head and neck. Straps might slide out of place on fine, smooth hair or get tangled in thicker hair with lots of layers. People with beards often have to wrestle with sacrificing facial hair for optimum respirator fit.

Consider Your Accessories

Compatibility between your existing accessories and your respirator is a valid concern, especially if you rely on an accessory like eyeglasses or hearing aids.

Many people have issues with fogging glasses, even when otherwise there seems to be a good seal. Parts of your own glasses (nose bridge, lens height, and temple arm) may impact respirator fit, head strap/ear loop placement, and long-term comfort. Similarly, hearing aids or assistive device worn on the head may challenge the fit or conflict with a respirator’s shape.

If you have facial piercings, you might need to adjust the size of your jewellery or remove it altogether while using the respirator.

Choose Your Toxic Air Fighter

If you’ve ever shopped for a pair of jeans, you know there’s multiple factors that go into fit — inseam and waist measurements, rise (distance between waistband to crotch seam), leg taper, fabric density, and fly closure. Even when the measurements on the label seem right, a pair of jeans can still fit poorly, with weird bulges in the fly zipper and embarrassing exposures in the backside when you sit or bend over. So, you try out a bunch of different brands and styles until you get a decent fit that’s comfortable and, preferably, flattering.

The hardest part of shopping for respirators is figuring out what to buy without being able to try them on first. Many online retailers don’t provide detailed dimensions of respirators, only cursory packaged dimensions or, if the product is available in multiple sizes, indicate a general small, medium, or large— and if you’ve shopped for any type of clothing, you know that one brand’s small is another brand’s medium. So, you won’t know what kind of weird bulges and embarrassing exposures you’ll experience until your order arrives.

In an ideal world, we’d have sterile, well-ventilated boutiques with expert staff to help the average consumer find the right style and offer complimentary qualitative fit testing onsite. At the least, ordering a box of respirators should be as easy as ordering prescription glasses online is these days. How nice it’d be to input some key measurements or upload your photo for a virtual try-on of various PPE. As it is, we’re relying on word of mouth reviews and vague sizing guides.

Basic Respirator Styles

Disposable N95 respirators are currently available in four basic styles — molded cup, vertical bi-fold, horizontal tri-fold, and duckbill flat-fold. None of these styles are particularly attractive, especially the NIOSH-approved models with the necessary but garish labelling stamped across the front.

Until bureaucracy prioritizes personal vanity on par with health and safety, it’s going to be pretty tough to feel cute in a glaringly white facepiece with protruding seams and conspicuous head straps. If you’re willing to forego official NIOSH approval for something more fashionable, you’ll find KN95 and KF94 masks in a wide range of colours.

• Molded Cup

The rigid molded cup respirator, what you might think of as a dust mask, is the one of the oldest styles and perhaps the most familiar. Its polypropylene layers are melt-blown into the cup shape that rests over the nose and mouth. The head straps and nose clip help to improve the seal on the face.

Molded cup N95 respirators are generally white, but the fluid-resistant surgical respirators may be a blue or teal colour. Some brands may offer small, medium, and large sizes.

This style is easy to find at hardware stores, but be sure not to confuse them with the common dust masks. Look for the N95 rating and NIOSH logo.

• Bi-fold / Vertical Flat-fold

The vertical bi-fold respirator has a similar shape to the molded cup, but has soft, flexible polypropylene panels that fit more snugly to the cheeks. Its vertical centre seam adds structure and depth to the facepiece for improved breathability and facial movement without compromising the seal. Respirator folds flat when not in use.

NIOSH-approved vertical bi-fold N95s have head straps and are mostly found in white. A couple of manufacturers do produce black N95s with head straps but they sell out fast. For a vertical bi-fold in assorted colours with ear loops, look for KN95 and KF94 masks from specialty PPE shops.

Vertical bi-fold respirators can be found in teen/small sizes as well as large and extra-large sizes from online shops specializing in respirators and related PPE, as well as hardware stores and medical supply retailers.

• Horizontal Tri-fold / Three-panel Flat-fold

The horizontal tri-fold respirator is one of the most popular styles of respirator on the market. It consists of three polypropylene panels — one that sits over the nose bridge, one that extends under the chin, and one that spans the front of the face. The seams joining the panels sit flat and run horizontally across the face, making for a smoother profile. Similar to the vertical bi-fold style, the three-panel respirator folds flat for easy storage.

Three-panel respirators with NIOSH-approval are typically white with head straps while KN95 and KF94 models are available in colourful versions with ear loops.

This style of respirator is available in multiple sizes, including kids’ size, from medical supply retailers and online shops specializing in respirators and related PPE. Tri-fold respirators may also be known as boat fold, fish fold, or willow leaf fold.

• Horizontal Bi-fold Pouch / Duckbill

The duckbill or pouch respirator is a horizontal flat-fold with a deeper polypropylene facepiece. Some models have more pronounced horizontal seams along the front, creating its exaggerated duckbill appearance. The duckbill/pouch is often considered to be one of the most comfortable respirators, in spite of its quirky exterior.

NIOSH-approved duckbill respirators are generally white with head straps and are available in small and large sizes from PPE retailers and medical supply shops.

Most respirators have a metal or aluminum nose clip at the bridge built into the nose bridge or affixed to the exterior of the facepiece. Some models include a thin foam strip along the nose bridge for comfort and fit. A lot of respirators have head straps made from soft braided elastic but a few are still outfitted with rubber bands.

Just like jeans and other fitted clothing, respirator sizes can vary slightly between manufacturers and even between models from the same manufacturer. For example, one three-panel boat fold might have a deeper nose bridge panel than another or a vertical bi-fold may have a shorter, shallower facepiece than one listed as the same size. If a style you like doesn’t work in one brand, try a few models before dismissing the style altogether.

Several dedicated PPE supply shops online offer sample kits with assorted N95 styles and sizes for a fraction of the cost for a full box. If this option is available in your region, try ordering sample kits from several shops for the widest selection of styles and models. Some sample kits may also include specialty respirators that are strapless or have a silicone seal.

For more in-depth information regarding individual respirator size, fit, and filtration efficiency, refer to Mask Nerd Aaron Collins’ videos. His spreadsheet covers countless respirator brands, styles, and models. Start there to see what gets top marks and search for those at reputable PPE online shops.

Respirator Certification

If having the maximum possible protection against exposure to viruses and pollutants is important to you, you’ll want a NIOSH/CE-certified respirator. Certified respirators have generally been rigorously tested by established agencies to meet OSHA guidelines for worker safety.

NIOSH is the United States’ federal agency for researching and recommending preventive measures for work-related illness and injury. CE (Conformité Européenne) is the mark indicating that a product complies with EU (European Union) safety standards.

Note the slight difference in the two certifications — NIOSH requires N95 respirators to meet certain criteria for fit testing whereas CE certification may not explicitly require fit testing for respirators.

Although N95 has become shorthand for disposable respirators, the FFR may have different designations depending on region and regulations. Respirators considered to be N95 equivalent include the FFP2 in the EU; the P2 in Australia, India, and Brazil; and the DS2 in Japan.

Many PPE suppliers offer KF94 and KN95 masks, N95-equivalent respirators from South Korea and China, respectively. The KF94 and KN95 are available in a wide range of colours and patterns in the vertical bi-fold and three-panel boat fold styles. They aren’t considered proper N95 as they don’t meet the NIOSH requirement for occupational use respirators to be equipped with head straps. This distinction may also be why you’ll see KF94 and KN95 referred to as masks instead of respirators.

Fit Testing

Fit is key in masking, though, what you may think of as fit in casual fashion terms is not necessarily the same as fit in technical respirator protection terms.

Ideally, you want a tight seal around your face so that there is no inward or outward leakage of air between your face and the respirator. Fit testing is a process to make sure your chosen respirator effectively seals against particulates.

Qualitative fit testing (QLFT) is a pass/fail test of the respirator’s seal. The costly test kit includes a hood, two nebulizers, and two tasting solutions (sweet and bitter). If the wearer can pass a series of exercises without tasting the solutions as they are released into the hood, the respirator is well-fitted. Generally, QLFT is conducted for use in workplaces where proper fit is mandatory.

User seal check is a quick self test you can do that requires no special equipment. Immediately after putting on your respirator, check for gaps and leaks by cupping your hands in front of your face and gently exhaling and inhaling. If you feel air escaping from the edges of the respirator, try adjusting the nose clip and head straps/ear loops or switch to an alternate style or size of respirator. Refer to the CDC’s tutorial for more detailed guidance on how to do a user seal check.

Where to Shop

Until someone opens that chain of PPE boutiques that stocks all our favourite respirators, the easiest way to find what you’re looking for is to order online.

Though they no longer sell PPE, Project N95 currently continues to maintain their site as a repository of available respirators and direct links for purchase. It’s a good place to start your search for lesser-known brands.

Some manufacturers operate their own online storefronts or provide a list of dealers that carry their products. Respirators from 3M, one of the oldest PPE manufacturers, are often stocked at big box hardware stores and PPE retailers.

Retailers like Amazon, with third-party marketplace sellers should be avoided as listings are often dubious or confusing and sellers may be offering knock-offs and fakes.

Ultimately, the best way to find what works for you is through old-fashioned trial-and-error. With your measurements in hand, you can narrow down the options for certified respirators in the style you prefer.

If you anticipate living through the 21st century and visiting a variety of crowded stores and musty old buildings during pollen and flu seasons as wind pushes wildfire smoke and smog through your region, and you don’t want to spend valuable time puzzling over why you’ve got a scratchy throat and runny nose, a respirator could save you time as well as literal and figurative headaches.

Hello world!

Politics, interdependency and solutions

One Health, according to the dedicated high level expert panel is “an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent.”

Ph: Gustavo Fring, Pexels

First, I will describe the coronavirus pandemic in a local context, in Argentina. Then I will slowly slide into a more political analysis, which does not always bring out the best in us. We also depend on an environment from which goods are extracted, because we are part of an ecosystem. An “interconnected” ecosystem that provides us with air, water, food, building materials, energy and health. The rationale for one health policies. In the last paragraph, where you can jump right in, I will talk about solutions, including for the economy.

Coronavirus in Argentina

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, it wasn't a polarised issue. In Argentina, the political parties seemed united in their decisions. China overwhelmingly helped us by providing essential supplies to hospitals. At a time when the country was violently negotiating its national debt with private interests. Later, the Chinese gave us access to the Sinopharm vaccine. From 2020 to mid 2021, while most of G20 countries where alternating periods of lockdowns, Argentina and Chili were confined most of the time. The main reason was that South America doesn't have the hospital capacities of Western countries.

A company in Argentina was soon allowed to force-produce the AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the UK. To later learn that some of the components were extremely difficult to find. Russia also agreed to sell stocks of its vaccine. In addition, as part of a partnership, Sputnik V was soon to be produced in South America. Although it now seems unlikely that this vaccine will be recognized by the WHO any time soon.

In 2023, an Argentine vaccine was tested. With a new neoliberal government at the helm, we hope that the clinical trials will continue.

Politics

Then the more general question of the origin of COVID. Was the virus 'man-made' in a laboratory? Or did it come from the destruction of its host's habitat? Either directly or through climate change, both of which are 'man-made'. Not that the question is inconsistent, but when one of the authors of the book “Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19” is a self-proclaimed post-Brexiter libertarian climate denier, it is eminently political. Virologists, some environmentalists, doctors and vets were soon to be caught in a political crossfire.

Back to the question: “Why do we need One Health?” One of many reasons is that we need better pandemic preparedness. And we need to understand the impact of politicians. An example: what motivates some political wings to polarise people on vaccination? How can anyone believe that vaccination is a bad thing? All the data explains, as always, that the benefits are collectively far better than the side effects.

Scientists know that strong beliefs, including political cults, sometimes belong to the same brain area. But it is not that people are being lazy to discuss rather than making consensus. In social networks, vaccine information is radically different according to whom your follow, your political flavour. These systems are amplifying polarisations, sometimes with paid advertising campaigns. Do you remember the Brexit campaign in Facebook/Meta?

Interdependency

An important part of one - public - health is to understand and mediate the correct equilibrium between humans, animals and plants. We are interdependent. And as the zoonotic pandemics of SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox virus show, we are always part of an ecosystem. So we need transdisciplinary teams to understand what is going on.

Transdisciplinarity, and the definition is to evolve, is the accumulation of knowledge from different disciplines: from a laboratory, the field or the streets to model reality in all its diversity. These models help us to adapt to these harsh conditions. It has to be mentioned that some One Health actors consider the public participation is an obligatory prerequisite to any serious approach.

Another example: what makes people happy when the mask mandate is over? How do we explain that immunocompromised people, elders, children and anyone with a pre-existing condition, including heart diseases and maybe even cancer, or on the long list of Long COVID symptoms, are at risk? And the same holds true depending on your ethnicity, social class, gender and where you live because the health care framework is not the same for everyone, everywhere.

In addition, we need to do a better job of explaining why new variants of SARS-CoV-2 will emerge, that they are self-generating from the astronomical number of infected people and animals.

We have no reason to believe that these two diseases will not return in animals and come back to us as dangerous new variants. Indeed, as the WHO pointed out with SARS-CoV-2, the number of virus sequences studied from animals is minuscule. And there are animal species, among them many rodents, that can trigger contagion in humans.

Solutions

Western countries have described the “Zero-Covid” strategy as “unsustainable” in China, especially with the Omicron variant. In reality, lockdowns were shorter than reported in the media, and they worked.

We are not talking about “restrictions” when it comes to stay healthy, to be in condition to earn a living or to be alive. Furthermore, “Zero-Covid” is not only about the ultimate lockdowns, it involves hygiene, protection equipments, social distancing, ventilation, being able to assess the risk individually etc.

With One Health, we have a powerful way to promote climate and biodiversity adaptation policies. Because health is concrete to people, and viruses have no frontiers. We have left the “not in my backyard” issue. In same time, we have to address knowledge gaps:

• An example with bats. Bats have a robust immune system that makes them carry a considerable number of viruses. Long-term sentinel studies have detected new viruses in bats in Argentina. One of them is close to another virus affecting humans. In China, 35 patients with fever and recent animal contact carried the same virus, most likely from bats.

• A quick survey shows only a few publications on the ecosystem service provided by bats. Understanding ecosystem services is the only way to know how other animals spread these emerging diseases. As ecosystemic services are affected by climate change and biodiversity loss, a permanent monitoring system should be able to prevent emerging diseases.

• Although a later study highlights that climate change may have been a driver for the emerging of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, more studies are required. But one have to bear in mind that it is now proven that emerging diseases increase with climate change, not only biodiversity erosion.

The health of people at risk is the majority of the population, regardless of the country's income. The One-Health quadripartite alliance should gather more social scientists to understand our polarised world. And more economists, including from the World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund, to better include the value of life into costs, including humans.

Since international treaties have a minimal impact when they disconnect from the economy. Global South countries need to have One Health Sovereign Debts Relief. In other cases, this instrument is called a debt-for-nature swap. Otherwise, they will not develop their health care infrastructures.

As there are green or sustainability bonds, why not call them One Health Bonds? States can emit these bonds on financial markets. To allow them to create projects that positively impact social and ecological pillars. One of the most famous players in the financial sector, BlackRock, is correlating the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with its investments, thanks to Carole Crozat and her team. They have probably upgraded the effect of a pandemic on both the SDGs and the economy [I think this team must feel very alone in this company].

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The impact of a pandemic can be very different depending on who you are and where you live. And government policies have a strong impact on public health. Sometimes beyond our understanding. This interdependence between us, animals like bats and the plants we eat is a balance that needs to be studied. And monitored if we are to avoid worst-case scenarios. The solutions therefore lie in bridging the knowledge gap in a transdisciplinary way. By including, for example, the social sciences, economics and indigenous knowledge. What's more, we must collectively find a way of including the cost of this lifestyle, to avoid an economic collapse.

To go further, as an autistic person, I'm used to the “I'll let you make your own accommodations”. This is more or less how public health treats everyone now. Ever since officials “believe” that vaccines alone can stop a pandemic. As a consequence of these “necropolitics”, a lot more of people are dying, or the way they used to live or even work is now affected. I am not sure that this kind of public health is ready for One Health, at least in what we have recently called the “non-endemic” countries. The One Health actors need to be aware of this.

Mastodon, about the writer

I read today that meditation is a way of disconnecting ourselves from our habits, by distracting them with new habits.

I find that this description only applies to a Western vision, i.e. to what is known as the state of mindfulness. While meditation cannot be described as a solely spiritual dimension either, what interests me is that it can lead to a state of flow (where thoughts and actions flow together without constraint) or a state of cohesion (mainly focused on thoughts and how everything within our reach is connected). To find out more, read Jorn Betting's excellent article on holotropism.

From an autistic point of view, I know that habits are much more complicated than controlling a given behaviour, such as walking or riding an elephant. Javier Benacer and Jose Ignacio Murillo describe habits as non-conscious actions that guide or enhance conscious actions. Most habits are acquired through the repetitive performance of tasks, and a parallel can easily be drawn with long-term memory. In simple terms, a reflex is a kind of habit, but no 'brain' neurons are needed to trigger it; it simply passes through the spinal cord. Emotions, once considered innate, are sometimes not so diverse in some people. Some even describe them as mainly acquired.

The way in which autistic people sometimes perceive their environment also shows that sensations can be reinforced (or attenuated) by habits. Some of us experience sound or touch as pain, which is described as a tuning mechanism that does not de-amplify our sensitive system.

So unless someone meditates with a strobe light, heavy metal music and a cannon firing tennis balls, we're unlikely to 'replace' our habits! As a runner, after half an hour I finally start to free my mind. Unsurprisingly, running becomes less tiring after this limit.

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I've been keeping a journal about my experiences with Covid-19 since March 27, 2020. I certainly didn't expect to still be writing about it in 2023. My frustrations were already coming through in my writings, even on that first day:

“Today I'm feeling more hopeless about Covid-19 than I think I ever have. We've tried to do everything right.”

“[Husband] went for a drive a couple days ago, and was alarmed to see so many people out.”

“Hospitals are already overwhelmed. They're talking about blanket Do Not Resuscitate orders for people with the virus. They're prioritizing saving young people. They're talking about hooking up multiple people to single ventilators. And still our idiot president is saying he wants people back to work by Easter.”

“I'm worried about all the people who bought guns. There were lines around the block at gun stores.”

“We had 3.3 million people file for unemployment yesterday...they are giving money to businesses instead of giving money to people so that they can survive and wait out the virus.”

“My friend [who is a healthcare worker at a walk-in clinic] has a single mask to use. She keeps it in a baggy and only uses it when she absolutely has to. Which I would think is all the time now, but I can see that she has to prioritize. She said there have been a lot of stupid people, people who were told by their doctor to go to the ER, but they 'didn't feel like going there' so they went to the walk-in clinic instead. And then she has to send them to the ER anyway.”

I started this journal as a Notepad text file. I labeled it “Journal-Corona.txt”. This year, I changed the name of the file to add “2020-2022” and then I started a new text file for 2023. It's been much harder to motivate myself to keep it going this year.

This year's entries still express frustration, but now it's different.

March 14, 2023: “I completely don't get it. Maybe it's my own neurodivergent brain. I don't understand how people can ignore the studies and information on covid. How do you shrug off a disease that destroys every organ in your body? How can you not want to avoid that at all costs?? How do you allow your children to catch it over and over??”