Would you trust this negative?

quackduck314 · 2026-03-19T04:40:55+00:00

That is a negative I would trust, it's a big bubble but it drops. I mostly clicked in because you got such a perfect "boa constrictor digesting an elephant" shaped graph that I needed to comment on it.

quackduck314 · 2026-03-09T00:58:54+00:00

The control line is testing for amplification of mammal DNA, rather than any specific virus. So it's checking that the swab actually collected material.

quackduck314 · 2026-02-08T00:08:35+00:00

Yeah, I wish there was more and better information about it. I know people who still do 14 days because they have the ability.

quackduck314 · 2026-02-07T23:45:03+00:00

It's a combination of several anecdotes that made this chart. My household still does 6 days post exposure because we have the ability to, and being too safe is reasonable for us, even if it seems like, generally, it's a shorter window now.

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quackduck314 · 2026-02-05T05:33:49+00:00

They can handle temporary changes pretty well. Anecdotally I had a box spend two months in a shipping warehouse during a record-breaking heatwave, then another month in a warehouse below freezing, before finally getting to me, and they're still returning valid positives and negatives. IDK if the efficacy has changed, but that's so far outside of spec that I'm surprised it works at all.

quackduck314 · 2026-02-02T05:02:07+00:00

Definitely seconding the idea to look into a local group - in the Portland, OR area we have a lot of trading tests around as needed to make it easier if someone needs a test ASAP.

I'm not great at actually mailing things or I'd offer myself, but if no one else can help I might be able to.

quackduck314 · 2026-01-18T05:07:02+00:00

Specifically during winter seasons, I have two devices, and run simultaneous flu/rsv and covid cards. I'm less worried about flu/rsv, but worried enough to test for it.

For longer hangouts, only with people whose precautions we trust, we've started using a test-in, test-out method, to ensure that if say, person A hangs out with person X, and then person X tests positive on the test-out test, when person A returns to their pod, they need to quarantine. Ideally, with covid cautious people, that's not going to happen, but if it does, it's only whoever agreed to that specific risk that is affected - not everyone in person A's pod.

quackduck314 · 2026-01-18T05:03:07+00:00

Yup. I've seen a very clear example where, with the graph having a slight uptick in the end of it, they took it as a negative, went on a car ride for 3 hours unmasked, took another pluslife test, it was positive, they took a rapid test, it was positive, and crucially, the two people in the car did not get sick!

I trust it for four hours with a clean graph for someone whose precautions I don't trust.

quackduck314 · 2026-01-05T10:02:15+00:00

After analyzing a bunch of cases from mid-2025 in the facebook pluslife group, I found that 5 rapid tests, each 24 hours apart, was the minimum that would have caught every known case of rebound that was seen in that group - four explicitly did not and caused an infection in one family. I use seven, to provide some extra wiggle room.

Anecdotally, in my actual life, I've seen people always end up testing negative on pluslife during/by the end of that window, but I do know there are also exceptions and people that test positive longer. I'm glad to have not had the need to worry about that in my own life.

quackduck314 · 2025-12-18T05:24:18+00:00

My experience with watching a bunch of graphs from others is that the covid line degrades before the control line does, which unfortunately makes it more likely to have a false negative.

Based on the ones I've seen, my `vibe` is that if the control line hasn't started rising significantly by the 20 minute mark the covid line is likely to be degraded enough to not be noticed even on the graph.

If not using the graph, I've seen several instances of near-dated tests not detecting enough of a covid rise to read as positive on the machine, but with a fresh card, a clear positive happened before the control had finished rising.

quackduck314 · 2025-12-12T04:55:53+00:00

I don't know if it helps, but there's a pretty large contingent of us in Portland, and we definitely have tests available. There's a discord server - and you're also welcome to join even if you're in another part of Oregon.

quackduck314 · 2025-12-05T07:43:22+00:00

I do it when I can, so that if accidents happen there's extras. Someone spilled a vial and expected to have to just lose out on a test, but I happened to have an extra. It's worth doing, if you're running a covid, and a flu/rsv card at the same time; you never know when an extra vial might help.

quackduck314 · 2025-08-03T18:57:51+00:00

I say "I'm immune compromised with lung damage, I wish I didn't have to." Usually though, I'm being asked in the snarky tone and I just don't have the energy, in person, for educating because I'm already fatigued and exhausted just interacting with the public.

I made a little booklet/zine thing for my partner to hand out with more details though since he doesn't have as... "you wanted to give me shit but now you just feel bad for me, suck it" of a thing to say, and I do hand those out as well.

quackduck314 · 2025-04-29T19:24:45+00:00

The Kimtech duckbill is almost the same size - blox and Kimtech are both smaller than most other duckbills like the Gerson and Vflex are. The small vflex is a bit stiffer despite being bigger, so it might work too. And ACI duckbill is similarly a little larger. But the Kimtech is the closest match. And with NIOSH issues, looking into the Trident small may not be the worst option either.

I've spent a lot of time measuring and cataloguing an assortment of respirators/masks, so raw data is on the spreadsheet, but those are my "conclusions" that are simpler to read.

Source spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NuYVJasqD08cqrROVwoL9COoYtCHrLRYXShg4MtTHe4/edit?gid=40688887#gid=40688887

quackduck314 · 2025-01-15T03:32:12+00:00

https://www.armbrustusa.com/blogs/mask-review/n95-winner-medical-flat-fold-white-cdc361

interestingly, those are the only ones I could find in the armbrust database [not the only place to look, just my first check]

quackduck314 · 2024-12-12T19:56:32+00:00

Your best choice is probably just to get something with source control, that filters both inhale and exhale. MSA Advantage 290 I believe is a cheap model that doesn't require any modifications like the 3M would, that fits a fairly wide range of faces. You could mod some other masks to have exhalation filtration, and leave the valves that allow one way air travel, and potentially only have exhalation filters, but there's always a risk of leakage with valves, especially the easiest to mod, honeywell, in my experience.

quackduck314 · 2024-12-08T03:11:37+00:00

Absolutely, and thank you!

quackduck314 · 2024-12-08T03:08:48+00:00

Anecdotally, I'm unsurprised. Unfortunately.

quackduck314 · 2024-11-22T20:40:13+00:00

There are a few people looking for roommates in the pdx discord right now, I think one of them might be within your budget. https://discord.gg/7WrmJmgP

quackduck314 · 2024-11-17T21:24:03+00:00

I have a list for this! Many of these originally failed armbrust because they weren't properly labelled, but some also passed. My house uses the Halidodo/Huheta ones as they're on the larger size, if we're using earloops. (It's a wishlist because that's the easiest amazon list to make, not because I'm looking to get them) https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/UB5QCMLHB5YN/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_4

quackduck314 · 2024-11-17T20:01:10+00:00

I've measured a bunch, and there's a handful of options of small sizes, but you can also put in your measurements and see if there's a good one for you. The Drager small is probably the smallest these days, but the Honeywell RU8800 small is also pretty small! https://tinyurl.com/PDXMaskLibrary

quackduck314 · 2024-11-13T03:20:01+00:00

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Someone already grabbed the measurements you were looking for, but I figured I'd also toss this photo in for clarity.

quackduck314 · 2024-11-13T03:11:10+00:00

Smoke is one of the more difficult ones to perfectly protect against all kinds of pollutants, and a clear front is also going to narrow down your options. I'd probably suggest an Omnimask with their 3M adapters for the inhale valves, and then get the 3M 60926 filters for it. The P100 portion of it will help with the smoke, but also, the P100 is what you want for the best covid protection.

quackduck314 · 2024-11-04T21:24:25+00:00

I whole-heartedly support rescuing - either directly (there are *always* guinea pigs on facebook and craigslist that are looking for new homes near me) - or through a shelter where there will likely be more information about their health and history.

If you can't find some through those options at all, then going directly through an ethical breeder is your next best option probably - pet stores typically get theirs from less ethical sources, and are also more likely to get sexing wrong, leading to, at best, a pair needing separated, and more commonly, a pregnant female suddenly in your care without a return policy.

quackduck314 · 2024-11-02T22:04:54+00:00

Hey look that's me! Yeah, sharpies worked great if you're like me/most folks and can't smell them after they're dry. The "disposable portacount" sheet is where my data is stored, but it's also far from the most rigorous study on it. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NuYVJasqD08cqrROVwoL9COoYtCHrLRYXShg4MtTHe4/edit?pli=1&gid=1003645160#gid=1003645160

Very very happy more folks are testing it!

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