Thread by @tmprowell

🧵It is now clear that we are going to have to get people to #MaskUp to get thru winter without US health care system collapse. #Omicron is way too contagious. #VaccinesWork & #GetBoosted, but they will not be enough on their own. So this thread is for people who hate masks:

2/X: If you hate masks because the ear loops make your ears sore, google "ear savers." That's the term I've seen used for various products that spare your ears w/ masks. Examples in pics, but if you can sew on a button, make some. What else are you gonna do in #quarantine?

3/X: You can get a beanie, headband, baseball cap, head scarf, whatever & attach button or hooks of any kind that you can get from any sewing store or online, & attach your mask loops to that. Ear pain solved! It's important to have a snug fit so try diff distances.

4/X: Not crafty? Etsy people have got you covered. If you don't like to wear hats/headbands indoors, there are tons of strap-like products that go around the back of your head to accomplish the same thing. Again just google "ear saver" or "mask extender" & you'll see a bunch.

5/X: If you just don't want to have a strap or anything around your head, putting some petroleum jelly behind your ears (& on your nose if you are wearing an N95 which can irritate it) will reduce chafing a lot & make it much more comfortable to #MaskUp.

6/X: If you don't like to #MaskUp because it shifts around too much, you probably have a poor fit. You want one you can keep on & keep your hands off of (remember: virus from air is on the outside of it, which is the point). Go to nonprofit @projectn95 & get a few to try.

7/X: If you don't like to #MaskUp because your face is small & everything has gaps, you are my people. I have had good luck w/ the 3M Aura N95 & the Respokare Antiviral N95 Respirator Plus, the latter being more expensive but having antiviral coating so I re-use it a lot longer.

8/X: (By the way, I have absolutely no financial conflict of interest or relationship with makers of any of these products. I'm just sharing what I've found to work on my small face after a ton of trial & error.)

9/X: If you don't like to #WearAMask because it makes you too hot, #thestruggleisreal. The best advice I can give is to get outside as frequently as possible & take some unmasked breaks. It's much safer outdoors anyway. #OmicronIsAirborne.

10/X: If you don't like to #WearAMask because it muffles your voice, an N95 mask that is thinner and/or that has a duck bill shape may help. We have used the Kimberly-Clark Kimtech N95 pouch respirator 53358, which is thin & has a duckbill shape. It makes me less hot too.

11/X: If you don't like to #WearAMask because it makes you look like a fool, well, here we are. #Pandemic, #wompwomp. But you can always choose to put a beautiful thin cloth mask, which really isn't protective enough on its own, OVER another mask. Magic! You're hip again!

12/X: If you don't like to #WearAMask because now you're trapped inside it with your bad breath, visit your dentist. It's important to keep up preventive health care like teeth cleaning & cancer screening. This #pandemic is gonna go on WAY too long to wait 'til it's over.

13/X: If you don't like to #WearAMask because it's creating a zillion tons of waste headed into landfills or the oceans or wherever, I feel you. Wearing a washable cloth mask over a surgical or N95/KN95/KF94 mask can help cut down on the # of disposable masks you use.

14/X: Tell me other reasons you hate to #WearAMask & I'll do my best to offer some solutions. I think we need a #MaskMandate. I have little confidence we'll get one & no delusions that it would be enforced or obeyed, so I think our best bet is to try to address people's concerns.

*I should add that the Respokare N95 comes in Medium or Large. The Medium is great for kid/small adult faces (I use that size as an adult. My face is petite enough I can wear some kid sized eye glass frames). The large fits most adults, but won't fit really big faces.

15/X: A last request: no fighting in my replies. If you think ppl should just #maskup, same. Trying to make it so. If you hate to #WearAMask & still don't want to, I feel you. No one is enjoying #COVID19. Certainly not #MedTwitter/#NurseTwitter. This is our ticket out. Get along.

*Note that this Kimtech N95 pouch respiratory 53358 would probably be a good choice for #teachertwitter. It's thinner & has a duckbill design, so it's less likely to muffle your voice (& less hot than some other N95 masks if you need to stay in it for hours at a time.)