NPR had a story recently about a face mask designed to help those who are deaf and hard of hearing. It has a large plastic panel that reveals the mouth and aids those who read lips.
It’s not just those with hearing loss who are clamoring for cloth face masks that have a see-through panel. They are a hot item among teachers, for example, and others who work with children or the elderly. Vendors on the craft site Etsy have taken up the call with masks of varying quality and design.
When I saw an ad on the Internet for this sort of mask, I thought it would be perfect for Teachers people, because students could see their facial expressions as well as their mouths.
If you open the link, you will see why this mask would be valuable in the classroom, and not just for the deaf and hard of hearing but to facilitate nonverbal communication.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
There are two teachers who manufacture masks such as these in RI. See the link to today’s Providence Journal.
https://providencejournal-ri.newsmemory.com/?token=cd5ac491a0793f3844484e60187d3a90_5f3297f8_e02eea9&selDate=20200811
Diane, I saw this on one of your twitter posts the other day and emailed it to one of our admins – who said they had ordered some. I will probably order one or two myself as well.
Has anyone worn one of these for any length of time? How breathable are they?
Do they fog-up when you have to talk a lot? I picture teachers having to wear them for hours at a time. Thanks.
The ones I made are pretty breathable, surprisingly. They do fog up some, but not too badly.
Diane, I wish you had consulted with a real expert in fluid dynamics before posting it. The window acts as a barrier to the flow of air between the mouth and nostrils of the person wearing such kind of mask, forcing the air you inhale and exhale to find a path throughout the portion of the mask that it is supposed to seal the contact between the mask and the face. That renders the desired effect of filtering the virus which is the objective of the mask. I had to learn filtration for a few projects I was involved, but I won’t comment further. Ask the experts before sharing quack science.
Frank,
Students benefit by seeing their teachers’ faces and visual expressions. I don’t recommend any particular mask. NPR has the resources to check with an expert. I don’t. If you know of a better see-through mask that allows students to see the teachers’ face, please share it. Perhaps you are the expert I need.
Read the link. these masks have been verified as effective., but they are not cheap especially for daily use/
“Bulk orders of ClearMask’s disposable face coverings — meant for just one-time use — are currently going to governments, hospitals and commercial clients, Hsu says, though individuals such as interpreters, factory workers and people working in customer service are ordering them, too, at $67 for the minimum purchase order of 24.
“Demand has skyrocketed,” he says. “I mean, we’re working around the clock.”
I don’t think one can make a blanket statement that it is ineffective (or effective) without seeing test data.
It depends on how much impedance to air flow there is through the cloth immediately surrounding the plastic AND on how tightly the seal is to the face around the edge of the mask.
For example. Heavy duty cartridge type respirators have an impermeable rubber fitting around the mouth and nose, but have a one way valve that allows exhaled air to escape so the air is not forced out where the mask meets the face.
Effectively, the cloth surrounding the plastic on the see thru mask is functioning to allow exhaled air to exit but unlike the valve, it is filtering the air. As long as the impedance to air flow is low enough and the seal around the face is tight enough, the exhaled air will not be forced under the face seal. This is actually the same principle operating with the respirator with the valve, with the critical difference being that the valve does NOT filter exhaled air but the cloth mask does.
Of course, there is a trade-off because the filtration is related to the air flow impedance, but one has to see the test data to actually know how effective (or ineffective) a given mask is.
These cloth masks are actually filtering droplets containing the virus, which is the reason they can still allow enough air flow to not affect breathing significantly.
Sorry, it should have said: “That renders ‘useless’ the desired effect of filtering the virus which is the objective of the mask.
This may be so, but those who work with the deaf and hard of hearing need to have their students/clients be able to read lips. Also, teachers if very young children need their students to be able to see their mouths as masks can be frightening for the very young. I am sure there is a way to join the fabric ams plastic together to make an air-tight seal.
Oops….fabric and plastic…..this is what I get for typing on an iPad…carelessness
The cloth masks in question don’t directly filter the virus , which is much smaller than the openings in the fabric.
They filter droplets containing the virus.
This allows the cloth to perform filtration while at the same time being breathable.
This is the mask that Diane posted on twitter a few days ago. This company has FDA approval and the masks appear to be worn in some hospitals.
https://www.theclearmask.com/product
I ordered one of these bad boys after hearing this story…it hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll try it out. I have plenty of fabric ones, too. A few more of those just came in the mail this morning for me and my family.
Gearing up…..
Back in March I tried to build my own plastic mask for exactly these reasons. I used a small-sized spring water bottle. It was a failure…well, it succeeded in getting some laughs.
Hang in there, folks
I’m going to head outside to happily mow my lawn. No mask just ear protection for a change. It’s one loud mower.
Good afternoon Diane and everyone,
I had a little lesson yesterday. I had some friends over and we sat outside 6 feet apart and we all wore masks. It was very hot – close to 90 degrees. We sat outside for 2 hours, and I found it very uncomfortable to breathe after a while. This was the longest time I had actually worn a mask. That go me thinking how uncomfortable it will be in a hot school wearing this mask all day. All of us were adjusting our masks and I found myself pulling it down several times to get a good nose full of air. I’m not looking forward to my hot classroom at all.
Thanks for sharing your outdoor experience, Mamie. Now, I’ll share my indoor experience. Since my husband has been travelling (2 trips w/in the past 2 months, both on planes & both in states w/high case #s, as he’d been home (& waiting for covid results–both times negative, happy to report), we social distanced & both wore masks–for hours (we have different bathrooms & have slept in different bedrooms, etc. & the only room we’d been in together–not talking & at least 6′ apart–is the family room, with the door & windows open (it is 2 stories high inside). However, as I stated–we wore masks–for upwards of 2-3 hrs./night (however long we were in that room). PLUS I wore wraparound, clear glasses (we’d bought 2 packages of 5 each–he wore them at the airport, on the plane, & wherever he was).
Yes, this is extremely uncomfortable, & if an adult is having difficulty for just 2-3 hrs. daily, I can’t imagine how kids will feel.
Also–I just noticed that the eyeglasses part isn’t mentioned…anywhere. One of the points of virus entry is through the eyes (this is how one doctor contracted covid when on an airplane–he’d said he was shocked to have tested positive, since he–& everyone else w/whom he’d been anywhere near were wearing masks, & then he remembered he’d had no eye protection).
Kids & teachers who normally wear glasses might be okay (regular glasses, those, don’t hug the area around the head & eyes as do the protective wear), but what about that?
Of course, that causes even more discomfort, as just breathing from inside the mask can cause the glasses to steam up.
&–already–we’ve seen the positive cases, & the schools closing down in states where they’d been open. So I guess, then, there are 3 choices: totally remote, hybrid/schools open or schools open…closed
(for “deep cleaning,” heh, heh)…reopen…closed (cleaned)…reopened…closed…
Just. NO.
You probably already know this, but remember when you’re re-adjusting or grabbing a gulp of air, use the stretchy strings, not the front of the mask. It’s probably not perfect, but it keeps your hands away from the front outward-facing cloth where others’ aerosol droplets are collecting.
Mamie & retiredbutmiss the kids, I wear glasses & have found fogging to be minor & fleeting. But I too find breathing uncomfortable in the cloth masks, and I doubt if I’ve ever worn one for longer than 2 hrs. BUT it depends quite a bit on the fit. My sister has been making & sending them periodically, & she keeps changing the design trying for improvement. A couple of them have a big breathing pocket that doesn’t collapse inward with inhale even when you fit the nosewire closely, while still curving right around under the chin for good coverage. Those are the ones I can manage for hours without a break. I guess a lot of trial & error is reqd.
I made some out of a heavy duty clear plastic shower curtain and bias tape for our student who reads lips. I hope it will help her.
There’s a transparent mask made by French biz Civility, sold through indiegogo.com. High quality. The info looked very good. It’s completely transparent except for two round filter-holding intake/ exhaust valves on sides of face [filtered both ways]. Fits tight to face. I think I remember the filtering ability is pretty good.
Sorry I’m limping along on my antique iPad at the moment & can’t check out further.. It could be pretty expensive, and you may have to wait for a while to receive… but you can re-use indefinitely. If the replaceable filters aren’t too costly it might be worth checking out.
So, in most school reopening plans I’m seeing in my area (I’ve read 12-15 of them.), kids can take their masks off during classroom instruction if they are 6 feet apart (which, supposedly, they will be). What happens when a kid has a sneezing or coughing fit and has no mask on??? Do I spray disinfectant? I’ve been told not to use my own cleaning supplies because if a kid has a reaction, I could be held liable. So, what will happen when all these germs are jettisoned into the air??? NO answer when I ask this question. I guess we’re all – teachers and students – just going to have to live with it.
Speech pathologists need these as well. It is essential in many cases that clients be able to see their therapists’ mouths.
If I can find the ad I’ll post the info. somewhere it will be seen. There are hearing aid places all over, & their latest advertising for “free hearing tests” depict seniors in masks trying to converse. When one comes in to get tested, they will give you a free half-clear mask, just for getting a test (& they’ll probably conveniently find you need hearing aids but, hey, the test & masks are free!).
As a mask maker, I can tell you they are a big hassle to make, and they are in demand. I have made and donated over 2,000 pleated masks, and now I’m working on window masks, but they aren’t easy.
Kitty- you are a saint! I’m sure a lot of people are thankful for your
mask-making skills!