Thread by @ParentMishmash

I'm going to be a bit vulnerable in this thread, which is for the people who care & have been failed by public health. I care deeply about people, and it saddens me to see masks with an apparent poor fit, especially when I know the person is trying their best to stay safe 1/12

It almost physically hurts me to see it, and I either have to look away or try to help. When I try to help, I’m just trying to share information & sometimes I get misinterpreted as trying to police people 😭 This is not my intent at all, people don’t know what they don’t know 2/

Let me be clear; the problem is public health, which has not communicated accurate information about airborne virus spread and proper fit testing of PPE - which they KNOW about, but refuse to share resources in a clear & accessible way for the public. 3/

This means that people are wearing ill fitting masks and thinking they're protected just because their mask says N95/KN95 on it. Wonderful people, just doing their best to protect themselves and their community. The burden of one way precautions in an unsafe world is not fair 4/

Any mask is better than no mask, for sure. But a big leaky gap at the nose or chin means the mask is not going to be as protective as it could be, and can be improved with simple free or low cost tips, using basic principles that public health is failing at communicating 5/

It is even more heartbreaking when someone who looks to be wearing a poor fitting mask gets infected, when a simple mask fix might have protected them. This is not victim blaming; I really am just trying to help them be safe, and I hope I can help make you safe too 6/

I fit test people with my PortaCount, and I wish that was more widely available! Here are my four top tips for improving mask fit even if you can’t access testing:
7/

1. Shape the nose wire *before* you put it on. This is most critical on bifold masks because pointy nose wire of a bifold doesn't fit most noses, but will help other mask types too

2. Shave!  Or use the Singh Thattha technique, or partial shaving where the mask touches your face, is very rare for a heavily bearded individual to pass a fit test in any mask, trimming the seal contact area is better than long hair 

3. Straps! Head straps are a lot more stable than ear loops, and pull the mask back onto the face for snug seal

4. Staple: Adding a chin staple can help close a gap at the chin

Want more help with mask fit or learning about fit testing? Join the Fit Testing For Everyone Discord server /end

discord.gg/NYeCM6ZQYr

If you need help finding a small mask for a child or individual with a small face, I made this size chart to make that process a little easier