A properly worn respirator is the most effective way to prevent infection and spread of COVID-19 disease.

The most effective respirator at a reasonable price is an elastomeric respirator with detachable filters. The best filter is N100 or P100. These filters are at least 99.97% efficient at filtering out the tiny particles that carry the virus.

Respirators are effective against all variants of the virus. They are also effective against other respiratory viruses and pollen.

The respirator should be NIOSH-approved.

Make sure you do a seal check each time you wear the respirator so that no air leaks around the mask.

Make sure the filter material doesn’t get wet because it won't work as well when it is wet.

Don't ever remove the respirator when you are around other people or are where other people have been recently. Don't even remove it to eat. Find a safe place to eat away from other people who might be infected.

(Image: A cop wearing an elastomeric respirator, lic. CC-BY-AT-2.5. Attribution: Ryssby at en.wikipedia)

@Pat I think we can agree at this point covid is here to stay forever... so whats the game plan for you personally, just wear a resperator for the rest of your life anything you interact with someone?

@freemo

If I get COVID-19, I'm mostly likely dead, so yes all those fuckheads who can't be bothered to wear a fucking mask in order to save the lives of million people are causing of all us who are old or immuniocomprised to have to continue to wear protection.

So what, exactly, is your motivation to want cause more people to die from COVID-19? Are you just sadistic? Does your Pfiser stock go up a half point every time a million more people die? Why do you want to kill more people?

Don't answer right now. Think about it. Talk it over with your priest or your rabbi or your therapist or your accountant first.

Then come back explain why it is so important to you to cause more people to die.

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@Pat @freemo Here's what I do:

1. I wear a mask and practice social distancing whenever I go out in public during a surge or other high-COVID time, or if I am sick or possibly exposed with *anything*.

2. If someone is immunocompromised, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable, or if they request so, I will try to not meet with them in person, but over some remote means like Zoom or Discord or whatever. If that is somehow not possible, I will wear a mask and practice social distancing.

3. I get whatever boosters are recommended as soon as they are available.

4. With regards to other people: there is so much misinformation and disinformation by antivaxxers and antimaskers that I try to withhold my anger at people who have fallen for that stuff. The exception of course is healthcare professionals, who have no excuse at all not to know better, and the people willfully promoting it (Del Bigtree, Natural News, Andrew Wakefield, etc. etc.)

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