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Bird flu virus shows mutations in first severe human infection in US, CDC says
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That's just flat out not true.
A location might not accept anything but a fit test on a n95 mask, but you can walk into any place and have them do a test.
I got fit tested for a n95 when I wanted to do air travel, and they said they could test my KF94 as well, they just couldn't offer a certificate to use it anywhere.
The other masks don't just magically have a 100% fit rate, and if you really wanted to know if it fits at all you can get it checked.
Who is “they”? I’m not giving you shit on this point, I’d genuinely like to know who does fit testing besides health care employers.
That said, I’ve never entered a facility that required fit testing on anything but the airborne gear: N95, CAPR, PAPR.
The context for all my dialogue is The States.
Employers require the fit testing to meet saftey guidelines, but the fit testers can be independent businesses. I just googled where to get a fit test and walked in. In my case it was a little side business she ran. I walked out with a card saying I was fit tested for a specific n95 and it was good for 2 years.
A lot of union trades require fit tests as well as their employees can encounter dangerous situations, but at least the person I know in trades said they were mandated to get it, but it's up to them to actually wear the gear, the employer won't force it.
Edit: I should add, I don't know if she would have only tested my kn94 if I'd asked, but I was getting a legit fit test and it was just an aside that she could run a 2nd test if I wanted to know if it fit well at all. So you might need to pay for 2 tests if you unofficially want to know if another type fits.
In my experience it’s a smell or, now, a particulate test read by a computer.
A smell that can’t breech the N95 and does not linger is sprayed. If you can smell it there’s no tight seal and you fail the fit. Now, it’s often read by computer, because some individuals can’t smell the subtle aromas in the solutions used, more so post COVID. A tube is riveted to the front of the mask while particulate is aerosolized while a computer reads the interior environment of the mask to see if there’s a breach on the seal, and if there is, you fail the fit.
I’ve never encountered “fit” for items that don’t require an airborne seal. There’s training on how to don and doff the gear, often in the form of computer based modules instead of in person, but no “fit”. Or it’s offered and I can decline because once you know you know, for the same gear.
I can only speak to medical and psych facilities, clinics, contexts in the United States.
I did Google it. What I find in a 100mile radius is “online” fit testing certifications for $35-50. Save your money, a particulate breech test in person is required. I’m guessing you got lucky there, by your location.
Dude I really can't undrestand why you can't accept this.
It was a legit full on fit test for a N95 done by a person by a person who does them for workplaces requiring a fit test, with the whole wearing a hood without wearing the mask and them putting this smell into the hood, with you testing you can smell it first, and then with the mask on, and you move your head in all sorts of directions while they add scents with various types of breathing.
You can test ANYTHING if you want within there to see if the smell can penetrate it, it's just required by workplace safety for N95 and life saving respiratory equipment.
ALL MASKS MUST FIT PROPERLY TO WORK, even if they won't certify it.
Edit: This site will find you locations - I looked up 90210 and it found a spot in LA for me that you can phsyically go to for the test. https://wellnessmart.com/spirometry-3/ -> https://wellnessmart.com/wm_locations/los-angelesca/. Book a N95 test, bring a N95 and a KN94 as well, and they might let ya test it for some extra $$$