this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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[–] Piers@beehaw.org 6 points 1 year ago

Reusable masks only go so far. Any mask will reduce your risk of spreading the virus to others. But a good mask will do so far better, and only a good mask will protect you from infection from others.

For reusable masks, the only good ones either are either only good for a limited number of washes or require replacing a disposable filter the provides the actual protection (and so are mostly just holders for the disposable masks. It's possible that the extra material saved using disposable filters vs disposable masks is not equal to the additional resources required to make the mask they fit into.)

Most reusable masks people wear tend to only provide ok protection for others and none for themselves. Often the ones I see provide very little protection for others and are really just a concession to following the word but not spirit of the rules.

I'd rather encourage people to use disposables that are usually far more effective than the reusables they would otherwise use personally.