Because of an odd circumstance (the need for lots of sanding of paint) I had a couple of dozen N95 masks sitting around before the pandemic started. They were two different designs, both N95. That got me wondering -- would it be possible to put together a *better* low-cost mask than N95? We're beginning to hear that masks can be quite effective, but most masks don't appear to me to be very good -- they're improvised layers of cotton or polyester that might slow down a persons sneeze and protect other people, but they don't seem likely to protect the wearing, s N95 masks do. At the same time, we're hearing that it's not that common to pick up the disease from surfaces (although it's still possible.) But it would seem that if we had really effective masks, and mandatory orders to wear them, we might actually be able to open safely.
