I put Chesco PA in the safer but be sure to wear a mask category.
I think we need to go back to wearing a mask around our grandchildren again. And of course our grandchildren will continue to wear masks in public. But since all of us grandparents are fully vaccinated at least we should be able to go inside my daughter & son in law’s home.
I wear a mask outdoors doing yard work because of allergies, ozone pollution and fine particle pollution from fires. Forest fires many square miles across are now normal almost all year long. Because COVID-19 will continue to mutate and the fires will continue to burn I think mask wearing is a permanent part of living for the foreseeable future.
What are the Harmful Effects of PM?
Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.
Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including many of our treasured national parks and wilderness areas.
MORE AT:
EPA
“The federal Centers for Disease Control reports 86.4 of Chester County's total population is vaccinated” August 8, 2021 SEE: Patch Malvern, PA Chesco’s COVID-19 Metrics Show Steady Climb over 4 weeks.
Between the three of us at the Pitcherella household we have about 200 masks left. We’re using the flat masks now.
The 3M N-95 3M masks prices are high. The KN-95 masks are much more affordable.
“In short, N95 masks are the US standards for respirator masks; KN95 masks are the Chinese standards for masks.”
N-95s and KN-95 masks fit the contours of the human face better with less leakage.
Both the N-95 and KN-95 masks are more effective at filtering small particles like the COVID-19 virus.
My son & I ordinarily wear various masks for woodworking and using volatile materials.
I ordered KN-95 masks today.
SEE ARTICLE:
1. To be certified as a KN95 mask, the Chinese government requires the manufacturer to run a special mask fit test on real humans with ≤ 8% leakage. The N95 mask standard does not require manufacturers to run fit tests.
This does not mean that fit tests aren’t helpful. Many hospitals and companies require their workers to be fit-tested. However, those are requirements of companies themselves, not for the US NIOSH certification on the mask.
2. N95 masks have slightly stricter requirements for pressure drop while inhaling. That means they’re required to be slightly more breathable than KN95 masks.
Don’t worry, despite it sometimes feeling difficult to breathe through masks, dying from oxygen starvation is very unlikely when wearing a mask.
3. N95s also have slightly stricter requirements for pressure drop while exhaling, which should help with breathability.
“Bottom Line: Difference Between N95 vs. KN95 Masks
N95s and KN95s are both rated to capture 95% of particles. Among the minor differences, only KN95 masks are required to pass fit tests, while N95 masks have slightly stronger breathability standards.”
MORE AT:
What’s the Difference Between N95 and KN95 Masks?
2021-07-14 by Thomas Talhelm
On July 27, 2021, CDC released updated guidance on the need for urgently increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage and a recommendation for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission to wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated. CDC issued this new guidance due to several concerning developments and newly emerging data signals. First is a reversal in the downward trajectory of cases. In the days leading up to our guidance update, CDC saw a rapid and alarming rise in the COVID case and hospitalization rates around the country.
- In late June, our 7-day moving average of reported cases was around 12,000. On July 27, the 7-day moving average of cases reached over 60,000. This case rate looked more like the rate of cases we had seen before the vaccine was widely available.
Second, new data began to emerge that the Delta variant was more infectious and was leading to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals. This includes recently published data from CDC and our public health partners, unpublished surveillance data that will be publicly available in the coming weeks, information included in CDC’s updated Science Brief on COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination, and ongoing outbreak investigations linked to the Delta variant
MORE AT:
1. How contagious is the Delta variant?
Scientifically accurate atomic model of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
Source: Alexey Solodovnikov (Idea, Producer, CG, Editor)
Data indicate that Delta is 40-60% more transmissible than Alpha and almost twice as transmissible as the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, significantly more viral particles have been found in the airways of patients infected with the Delta variant. A Chinese study reported that viral loads in Delta infections were ~1,000 times higher than those in infections caused by other variants. In response this information, the World Health Organization (WHO) regards Delta as “the fastest and fittest” variant so far.
2. Is the Delta variant more dangerous than other variants of concern?
According to surveys conducted in the U.K., where Delta accounts for ~90% of current COVID-19 cases, symptoms of Delta tend to be a little different than other strains, but that does not necessarily mean the associated symptoms are more severe. Fever, headache, sore throat and runny nose are common, while cough and loss of smell are not. Other reports link Delta to more serious symptoms, including hearing impairment, severe gastrointestinal issues and blood clots leading to tissue death and gangrene. Research is ongoing to determine if Delta infection is associated with increased hospitalization and death. One early study assessing the risk of hospital admission in Scotland reported that hospitalization is twice as likely in unvaccinated individuals with Delta than in unvaccinated individuals with Alpha.
Case numbers and hospitalizations are once again on the rise in the U.S., especially in states where vaccination percentages are low and the Delta variant is surging. On July 16, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 7-day average increase in new COVID-19 cases of 69.3% and a 35% increase in hospitalizations. Still, it is difficult to determine whether Delta is actually making people sicker than previous forms of the virus or if it is simply circulating amongst more vulnerable populations where case numbers are high, vaccination rates are low and increased stress on hospital systems is impacting patient care and disease outcomes.
What is clear is that the majority of hospitalizations and COVID-19-associated deaths in the U.S. are occurring in unvaccinated people, leading to a chilling warning from CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky that “this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
MORE AT:
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY
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