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Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
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11 Sep, 14 tweets, 10 min read
Important #CDC update yesterday improves guidance on mask quality & fit; now recommends #N95 respirators as one option for #BetterMasks. (1/x)

Updates like this don't just happen. People like @kprather88 & @linseymarr have been pushing behind scenes. 🙏
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
2/ Also important: N95s are not limited due to a supply chain shortage. True for months and why the CDC finally updated their guidance yesterday.
@projectn95 is a non-profit that provides a marketplace for vetted masks at low price:
shop.projectn95.org/all/
3/ Any mask is better than no mask, but given the highly contagious Delta variant that now dominates, you should wear the best mask you can. See this great interview clip with @mtosterholm motivating the use of upgraded masks:

4/ Snips from #CDC webpage with yesterday's updates:
☑️ Cloth masks: Make sure any mask fits tightly to avoid gaps that allow air to bypass the filtration.
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
5/ Lots of strategies to improve mask fit if you still use a surgical mask, i.e.:
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
6/
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
7/ N95s are rated to filter >95% of aerosols at 300 nm in size --- and MORE efficiently at both larger and smaller sizes.
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
8/
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
9/ Since the seal to your face is important, trimming facial hair appropriately can be an important part of the puzzle if you're really trying to be safe.
10/ If you're interested in some of the scientific motivation for higher quality masks, this video by @minutephysics explains N95s about as well as any I've seen:
And an old thread with various other links for more info on mask fit:
11/ Not only are N95 respirators an important public tool for protection against COVID, their high filtration and fit quality make the best choice against #WildfireSmoke. This is another reason why updated CDC guidance yesterday is so critical. Thread:
12/ Unfortunately, still no US-approved version of N95 respirators for kids, but KN95, KF94, and elastomeric respirators can be excellent options. Follow @masknerd & resources here:


docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
13/ For many people, an #ElastomericRespirator may be a good choice for adults or kids. Makes a good gel/rubber seal against face, so can be more comfortable & should provide great filtration. More expensive, but something to consider. See discussion here:
14/ No matter the mask or respirator, make sure you wear it correctly and that it seals tightly against your face. Summarized by this nice graphic from @WearingisCaring:

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More from @HuffmanLabDU

Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
16 Sep
🔥 by @DrAliceVirgil1 in @PsychToday. She argues indoor school meals are not only dangerous during COVID, but further destabilize a sense of truth and reality among gaslit students.

Short 🧵 from article + links on lunchtime risk
(ht @kprather88)
psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compas…
2/ "The term gaslighting comes from the 1944 film Gaslight ... invalidating her reality and understanding of her experiences."

"Trust in the person or entity doing the gaslighting is essential for it to be an effective tool to undermine a person’s entire perception of reality." https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...
3/ "Yet, every day in countless lunchrooms across America, as both the New York and Chicago school districts have noted, children are eating and talking loudly, unmasked, in crowded indoor spaces without proper ventilation."
Read 9 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
16 Sep
Article w/ tips on childrens' masks, by @BetsyMorris2. (🧵 & info, 1/x)

My quotes didn’t make article cut, but I agree w/ many others who have said priority order is:
1) Wearability (quality irrelevant if kid won’t wear)
2) Tight fit
3) Filtration quality
wsj.com/articles/findi…
2/ In the context of kid masks, it’s worth following @masknerd and looking through great contributions he has made to provide test data & evaluations of various adult and kid masks:

3/ The article also mentions an open Google doc put together by @ajprussin & @linseymarr on various kid masks, which is a useful resource:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
Read 7 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
9 Sep
So glad to see growing national push to #EatOutside & increase #school lunch safety. Anytime masks come off indoors, COVID risk increases.

@HeidiNBC 👇: "Does this cost money?"
Principal: “Money?! No, we just used our brains!”

Full 🧵 of links & info. #DrFauci up next ... (1/x)
2/ Parents here realized that if adults need to be very careful w/ indoor dining when masks are off, so do school kids during lunch.
@HeidiNBC: "Here's what they do. It's not hard. They open these doors, the kids come out."

h/t @SmartRestartAPS
3/ #DrFauci today" "You have pretty good prevention measures at the time you’re in the class or working, and then you let your guard down when you get a lunchbreak and you take your mask off, b/c you have to take your mask off to eat."
Read 20 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
7 Sep
ICYMI, @By_CJewett did an excellent job last week on #ScienceFriday w/ @iraflatow. Worth a 14-min listen on key points about air cleaners for school & elsewhere.

Here are some additional thoughts & links on in-room air cleaners as a 🧵 (1/x)
soundcloud.com/scifri/are-hig…
2/ I think this bit from @By_CJewett takes it home:
"Your HEPA filter is kind of like a pair of kaki pants or a garden hose. It's not on-patent, it's not expensive, it's not that hard to find, and there's not a salesforce for it."
soundcloud.com/scifri/are-hig…
3/ "But what you do see is the more electronic air cleaners. Those are the companies going to the school boards, talking about ionization ... they sound spectacular"
Read 21 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
6 Sep
A great episode of #NOVANow by @AlokPatelMD on back-to-school concerns (Sept. 2).

First 18 min. @linseymarr does an excellent summary of the basics of airborne spread & most important areas for #schools to focus.

"My biggest concern is lunchtime." (1/x)
pbs.org/wgbh/nova/podc…
2/ (14:40) "My biggest concern is lunchtime. Eating in a cafeteria is my pandemic nightmare scenario. In order to eat you have to remove your mask. There are hundreds of kids in there together. They're seated closely together at these long tables. Everyone's trying to talk ..."
3/ "... and be heard. That's kind of the worst possible situation. Crowding. Close together. Loud talking. You release aerosols and droplets when you talk, and the louder you talk the more you release. ..."
Read 6 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
27 Aug
Report on a #Delta outbreak in elementary #school

80% of kids in front 2 rows infected!

- Can we pls take school precautions seriously?
- Kids <12 yrs unvaxxed & vulnerable
- Don't take off your mask (to read aloud)!
- Wear a (good) mask **correctly** 👇
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…
2/ This MMWR report ⬆️ seems scary & catches attention. Good. We need to pay attention.

- Delta is very contagious & kids get sick
- Vax is critical for everyone possible
- But vax isn't silver bullet alone. Even vaxxed can transmit
The good news next ...
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
3/ #Schools can help w/ layers:
- Good, tight masks reduce room risk & at inhale
- Also distance, good ventilation, room filtration, outside meals

Risky w/ unvaxxed kids in schools at all -- but no question if schools & teachers don't take this seriously
Read 6 tweets

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