
We Need Better Masks - srameshc
https://hbr.org/2020/06/we-need-better-masks
======
aquaphile
Done! Well, at least 4/5 of the HBR criteria. See
[https://www.kioma.us/products/mask](https://www.kioma.us/products/mask) and
please support us with a purchase!

I'm a YC alum in the healthcare field, and this respirator mask is a project I
spun up with friends.

We designed and are actively selling a home-grown full face respirator that
addresses 4 of the 5 criteria in this HBR article: Protection, Scalability,
Comfort, and Reusability. Style is in the eye of the beholder, and some people
think our design is ugly ;)

Protection: only full face respirators have proven effective in the field
against Covid. Our respirator is a sealed system for 3-in-1 protection,
replacing separate mask, googles, and face shield.

Scalability: we designed it for rapid-response distributed manufacturing.

Reusable: it is washable in soap and water. You can also alcohol spray/wipe
it. Additionally, the filters are replaceable, and super-easy to do. The
filter media we've tested ourselves at 94% 0.3 micron efficacy; however, that
is not an independent certified test.

Comfort: it is cooler, dryer, and more comfortable to wear for long duration.
My daughter has rock-climbed in it for several hours, to give you an idea of
how comfortable it is. The design saves the nose and cheeks from the pressures
of partial masks and googles. Cold air is cycled in and through by wearer's
own respiration.

Style: Well, we can't win them all :) Aesthetically some people like it, some
people don't. We do our best, but we prioritize function/safety, scalability,
and price point over style.

~~~
calmworm
Make it dishwasher safe and you’ve got something here.

------
calmworm
This article repeatedly mentions the main issue with masks right now, that
they require widespread adoption and usage, while pretending “better masks”
will somehow solve it.

~~~
m0llusk
Exactly! This article is a great demonstration of how tuned out and ivory
tower much of the medical establishment is.

What are the real problems with masks? Did they bother to talk to or even
count mask users? From my experience masks are inconvenient to carry, put on,
and take off. Wearing them is not only uncomfortable but adds minor difficulty
to breathing.

My work as a cleaner is exhausting and accounted for by the hour. Masks turn
my work from miserable to borderline unbearable. Exactly how do masks effect
temperature and breathing? No one knows or cares! I am convinced I have
experienced several events of serious and dangerous hypoxia as a result of
needed to wear a mask while working. Have any of these people bothered to
quantify the risks of hypoxia while doing strenuous work and wearing a mask?
Maybe ivory tower work doesn't get them breathing hard so it is okay?

Being slightly off with their marketing game might be excusable, but one would
expect medical professionals to have some nonzero level of bedside manner and
actual interest in not doing harm.

~~~
calmworm
Apologies, but I’m having trouble with your response. It doesn’t seem to be
related to the article or my comment.

This article is all about creating “better” masks for general public usage in
social situations.

It seems to say that even with, or because of, those not wearing masks, the
mask-wearers need more effective masks.

~~~
m0llusk
I am saying that this "better" metric you refer to is badly defined in this
article. A mask that allowed for easier breathing would potentially be used
more frequently and reliably and would do less damage to the wearer. That
seems better to me. The ease of carrying, wearing, and also cleaning are other
important contributing factors. You are agreeing with the writer that the only
contributing factor to "better" is the capacity to lower infection rates when
correctly worn. That isn't merely wrong, it is dangerously and offensively
stupid.

~~~
calmworm
Thank you for clarifying your point.

They touched on multiple points of "better" in this article... one of which is
"Comfort", "For example, Stanford researchers are experimenting with wearable
devices that pump oxygen into masks to make them more breathable."

