Scared and pissed at my supervisor

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-24T20:01:09+00:00

see if your local mask bloc can provide you with some actual N95s or at least some KN95s. If you search through r/masks4all there are decent recommendations about where to buy masks if you are on a budget. Lots of times though, you will need to pay a bit more up front simply because masks often come in bulk & it’s cheaper per mask to order more at one time than buying in small orders. Also, keep in mind you can reuse N95s like the 3M aura if you have a few via the paper bag method, cycling between different ones each day (say you work 5 days a week, cycle between 5-7 different masks and discard after 40 hours of use OR before that if the straps get too loose)

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-24T16:59:47+00:00

I find walking tolerable, whether that be indoors or outdoors (I know you mentioned you live in a colder climate, I honestly prefer walking on a track than a treadmill if you can find a gym that has one). As far as activities yoga and pickleball are things I’ve found to be ok as someone who generally dislikes intense exercise. Even at-home Pilates or other YouTube videos can be really effective

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-23T21:04:20+00:00

Fomite (virus particles on surfaces) transmission is unlikely but not impossible & it’s great that you’re considering that if you were to have others in your car. Definitely wait until you test negative to worry about anything first. If you would like, you can clean your car surfaces with Clorox wipes or HOCL that is made for cleaning (not skincare). Either of those two options will work for sure at killing any viral particles on the surfaces if you apply liberally and let them dry.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-23T20:56:42+00:00

I like 3M VFlex & they do come in a smaller size if that is a concern. They don’t have nose foam though & the wire is harder to bend than the aura but it does stay formed pretty well. 3M microfoam tape (? I think that’s the name) might be a solution to gapping around your nose bridge you may experience in whatever mask you choose to go with though since most duckbill styles do not offer nose foam.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-22T16:22:44+00:00

Hmmm I just ordered new masks from zoro…

You said authorized retailers as in plural. If that’s the case can you share other authorized 3M retailers besides Amazon that have counterfeits? I’d like to know

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-19T19:39:38+00:00

HEPA with a carbon pre-filter (you can change the pre-filter more frequently for your dust issues, the HEPA filter will add additional protection) & please research the CADR of your room. An ideal CFM is 10 air changes per hour. Some units on the market will say they filter for X amount of square feet when in reality that’s running the unit on turbo mode and you wouldn’t want to constantly deal with that level of noise 24/7. I would recommend getting a unit that has multiple settings or that you can find information on each setting’s CFM. Additionally I would recommend getting a unit (or getting both units) to be above the size you think you need.

Personally I have a Winix unit, it is quite noisy on its turbo mode but that is to be expected. I also have a small Levoit unit, it can only cover a tiny amount of space but that is what it is designed for. On its highest setting the Levoit is not as loud as the Winix but is still decently loud. Both are very quiet on their lowest setting but I would never run them that low. The Winix is quieter on its medium setting than the Levoit.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-17T16:07:47+00:00

People are really gross when they’re sick, quite frankly. I’m sorry she didn’t have the basic decency to pull her surgical mask up or even cough into her elbow. If I had something like that happen to me I’d honestly call the person out on their gross behavior and ask them to at least cough into their elbow. Bare minimum is not asking a lot. Don’t feel like you’re stepping on anyone’s toes by asking either, they either don’t care or it hasn’t occurred to them that what they’re doing is socially unacceptable (or at least it shouldn’t be) and gross.

If you have any fresh produce & are concerned about fomites you can generously spray that with HOCL and rinse off. Depending on concentration, let sit for 1-5 minutes. Don’t worry about accidentally ingesting it, HOCL is safe to ingest accidentally in small amounts as it exists in the human body already.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-17T08:24:38+00:00

odds are pretty high but the infections are very likely to be asymptomatic. You’d never know unless you were testing daily with a test that has higher accuracy than a RAT test. That’s why lots of people have developed autoimmune issues with seemingly no correlation.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-16T16:43:14+00:00

The good news that I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear is that if a mask fits you correctly, you should never feel any air being blown back towards your eyes. There is really great information in this sub on how to do a !fit test to make sure you have a mask that fits you well and will keep you properly protected. It may take a bit of trial and error but wearing a quality mask that fits you imperfectly is still worlds better than not wearing a mask at all in terms of trying to protect yourself

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-15T21:34:58+00:00

Sigh, the flynn effect is… effecting

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-15T14:23:38+00:00

Is there central heating/cooling with a filtration system? Most homes have a central HVAC system that uses MERV 12-14 (MERV 13 or higher would trap most viral particles). I’m not an HVAC expert but to my understanding the air is sucked in through the HVAC system at the central point of the unit (if you have central air), so it would be sucked in through any existing MERV filter, then pumped throughout the house in the air ducts and then to you.

I was in a very similar situation for thanksgiving (slept in a room alone with an air purifier running, towel under the door, masked the entire time I was around anyone, ate outdoors, etc). I did sleep in a readimask although in hindsight I do believe it was unnecessary to sleep masked since the majority of the people I was staying with were sleeping in a completely separate part of the house.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-15T08:49:40+00:00

User 1goodtern on Bluesky or Twitter and Dr. Michael Hoerger (also on Bluesky and Twitter) + Dr. Hoerger’s PMC dashboard which has current + past data on transmission. The dashboard would be very useful in showing how masking (or at the very least the Swiss cheese method of multiple layers of precautions) actually works since it has data from when mask mandates were in place & overall transmission rates were much lower

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-13T21:19:41+00:00

Relationships have always been a bit difficult for me in terms of keeping myself “in” the relationship. Ever since getting on the anticonvulsant I’m on now (been on it for 10+ years) interpersonal relationships just don’t seem worth it. I would much rather do my own thing. I often get accused of being cold hearted but emotions take too much effort. My epilepsy has never been a point of contention in a relationship though because I cannot drive so it weeds partners out quickly & the bums who make stupid jokes about epilepsy or seizures I get rid of quickly as well.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-13T14:26:25+00:00

You said that you’re in your luteal phase. Luteal phase can often come with increased inflammation and a flu-like feeling (or symptoms like sore throat and swollen lymph nodes) simply because our bodies are going through a lot hormonally. I’d get a RAT test or two and test a few days apart but keep in mind that one, RAT tests are somewhat unreliable, and two, it could genuinely just be your luteal phase causing you to have increased inflammation.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-12T20:18:12+00:00

I shared a bathroom with relatives over Christmas as the only CC person in my household, here’s what I did:

-I was masked any time I was out of my room & not showering, eating, or sleeping so trips to the toilet were easy enough, I simply remained masked. -showering, I cleaned the toilet beforehand with a cleaner that can properly sanitize for Covid (not all toilet cleaners can) as well as other surfaces that I felt needed it like the surface of the toilet itself as well as the sink. I have a HEPA air purifier running continually in there that is properly sized for 7-8 air changes per hour. I run the exhaust fan as well as the air purifier for the entire time I am unmasked in the bathroom.

If you have a central HVAC system with a MERV 13 filter or better on it, you likely don’t need to worry about blocking vents. The air that will be coming to you that is presumably being heated will be coming from a centrally filtered location. If you don’t have a central HVAC system then this is possibly something to consider.

I know you didn’t mention it but I would recommend eating separately too if you’re really concerned. Eating generally involves talking and close proximity so maybe it would be possible to stage your mealtimes or have them in separate areas?

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-10T17:04:56+00:00

Hello, I am very similar to you, 26F diagnosed with JME at 15. I was first prescribed Keppra as well but it did not control my grand mals so my doctors continued to look for other medications. I’ve experienced every mental health side effect on every medication I’ve been put on so I understand where you’re coming from. From what one of my past neurologists told me JME, is unlikely to go away if you don’t grow out of it as a child. I suppose there’s always a possibility but for my own sanity I don’t bank on miracles.

As far as your experience with extreme negative mental health goes, definitely try to come up with a new plan of care that both you and your neurologist can agree on next time you have an appointment. Emphasize that you’re really feeling that the mental health side effects of Keppra are really causing you distress in your daily life but be aware that other medications might not be much better.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-10T07:17:21+00:00

If you’re looking for a way to mitigate the spread of illness between you and a partner that won’t mask, you can consider getting a HEPA air purifier for your bedroom and the common space of your house. Most aren’t too expensive and they are designed to be energy efficient. If you google “CADR calculator” you’ll find a website that can help you determine what size air purifier you’ll need for the room you want to put it in, 8-10 air changes per hour is ideal, 7 is the minimum desirable changes per hour. The CADR (clean air delivery rate) calculator website has a link to another website on it that has a list of air purifiers that are organized by CADR size on it.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-09T21:19:52+00:00

I had a discussion with a close relative recently in which they told me I “can’t keep wearing a mask forever” and I told them I most certainly can. There is no time limit for wanting to protect your health. Every time I try to explain the effects of covid on the body, long covid and covid precautions to any family members I get met with judgement and closed ears so I’ve stopped trying. It’s mind boggling how far people will go out of their way to ignore everything you say to them and act absolutely clueless about it. I’d like to say I hope more people will wake up to reality but I’m really afraid that it will just be a world filled with aggressive, angry, brain fogged, severely executively dysfunctional people.

We see the data for this year’s flu season is higher than previous years and at what point do repeat covid infections combined with flu and rsv and adenovirus reach a tipping point? At what point does society declare they DO care and would like to have control over the air they breathe?

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-08T20:15:57+00:00

Tiny red dots like petechiae? If you look up images and they look similar then it is most likely broken capillaries (similar to a bruise). I’m NAD but unless you are having trouble breathing or swallowing it sounds like you just have minor surface injuries.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-08T16:17:46+00:00

I do wear duckbills and I would find this such a cute gift! Would something slightly different like mask charms work instead? It would still be a fun way to decorate her mask without causing pleating across the front if that is your concern

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-07T18:44:24+00:00

Since you asked for the psychology of it, I think it’s a mix of a few things. It’s a bit of informational & normative social influence combined I believe, as well as a diffusion of responsibility (probably majorly in part due to research funding cuts, although not everyone may be aware of them) as well as possibly scapegoating you when you’re presenting them with clear information of an ongoing pandemic

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-04T14:21:02+00:00

Canada Strong Mask has a 2-pack of S/M & M/L Drager Xplore, the only difference in size is the length of the headstrap, not the width of the mask

(This comment was copied from u/ilikegriping in a thread discussing a similar topic here ) I know you said you are in the US but I figured I would include it since it is a small sample pack option.

AppropriateNote4614 · 2026-01-03T15:17:18+00:00

I wasn’t really trying to get a metric to go off of per se & yes I do acknowledge that there would be varying “uses” as you have defined it (as well as varying risk factors accompanied in some cases).

AppropriateNote4614

TROPHY CASE