A picture would be good, but honestly, I don't understand perforations?

Maybe not defeats, but not as effective as the N95s. N95 masks with suboptimal fit still had comparable filtration
efficiency of more than 90%. Their KN95 counterparts, millions of which
have been purchased by or donated to US hospitals, performed less well,
with filtration efficiency ranging from 53% to 85%.

With so many different fabrics and fits, I'm not sure how to compare to the cloth. I have a few N95 but we haven't been someplace so concentrated with people I felt they were necessary, and have them put aside on the chance something comes up where we really would feel more protected wearing them. I notice my brother wears little else, I've seen him only a few times but he's been in an N95 each time.

Hopefully someone like mdln with more knowledge than I have can weigh-in.

I was told that the N95 is the gold standard, that the KN95 ones are useful but somewhat less restrictive (ie, less protective).

Are they actually perforations or are they melt marks? Depending on how the mask fits on your face it can feel like air is flowing in.

I agree with maifleur. I really don't think they're holes. But, that would explain why they're less effective than N95. I've never seen one of those, but I sure as heck wouldn't use it, unless I covered it with a cloth mask.

That's my go-to when I'm going someplace that's more critical. I hardly ever go to campus now, but when I do it's an N95 that I cover with a cloth mask. That's just to get through the front door crowd. Once I'm to my office, the N95 goes off and back into its case (I'm only administration) and down to the cloth mask until I go home.

So that's my suggestion, if you use that mask, cover it with a cloth mask. When it's really really necessary.

I use the KN95 and it does not look like the above

I’ve used the style of eld’s KN95. I haven’t seen them with the holes. We had some on hand from some project or another and I recently tried it out. Much easier to breathe in, because there is a lot of room between mask and face.

rob -- Where did you get your N95 masks? I have two 'industrial' N95's that DS had left over from a sanding project, but they are very large for me. I cover one with a surgical type when in public. The N95 protects me from inhaling particles. The surgical protects other FROM me. The industrial masks are very stiff and uncomfortable, with one elastic behind the neck and one behind the head. There's a hard plastic 'vent' with two holes in the middle of the mask.

I've asked at the hospital, but they barely have enough medical N95's for staff.

From Healthline;

”A new report found signs that popular KN95 masks are not as effective as N95 masks.

Researchers at ECRI found that up to 70 percent KN95 masks imported from China don’t meet U.S. standards for effectiveness as with N95 masks. The group issued a hazard warning in September

Both products are said to filter 95 percent of aerosol particulates. KN95 respirators differ from N95 respirators because they meet the Chinese standard but are not regulated by U.S. agencies.”

Link here

Here's how the hospital my son works at fits N95's. After putting on the mask, user enters a positive air unit. An odor is introduced into the unit and the user adjusts the mask so the odor cannot be detected through the mask by the user. If the mask is adjusted or removed by user once out of the positive air unit, the procedure is repeated. According to my son this mask is near but not quite 100% effective when this procedure is followed. It is also hot, uncomfortable, and restricts air intake for user somewhat. And snowflakes complain that the common cloth and paper masks that most everyone uses are uncomfortable. They have no idea what uncomfortable is.

BTW, my son's hospital had a ward devoted to COVID in the spring. It was reduced to half ward this summer, and the remaining half designated for COVID was half full, so a quarter ward. As of last week the ward was half full of COVID patients so the whole ward will probably designated COVID shortly. He also has a co-worker with COVID who has been intubated for 2 months and is not expected to recover.

I bought them from Home Depot for an insulation project, before COVID. They were sealed up, so I got super lucky.

Anne, I use a K95 similar to the one you posted. Mine also have the perforation in them. I tested the effectiveness of mine by filling them with water and the water did not drip through. Also hold a match about 4 inches away while wearing one and try to blow it out. If you can blow it out, the mask is not very effective.

Thanks, rob and sleeperblues. (Sleeperblues...how's your hospital doing during Wisconsin's COVID uptick?)

I use a Kn95 whenever I go into venue with many people - ie the grocery. The ones I have don't have any perforations, and shouldn't. I do wonder if those are melt marks, not actual holes, though.

I am not confident of the degree of filtration of any of the non-medical masks currently available, but just looking at the Kn95 that I have, it seems to have more filtration potential than the blue masks. I did buy some of the blue masks to have as well, and they are so thin (although still with 3 layers) that I double them.

Kennswoods, reading about your son's mask procedures was very interesting. I'm sorry you have so many gullible people in your area that your son has to be exposed to this vile disease.