Face mask fo scooter and H1N1

ok I have always used one of those face mask that I bought in motorcycle shops…but during traffic light stops there are soooo many bikes/people around you in such close distance, I am wondering how good those mask is in eliminating H1N1 if someone got H1N1 besides you? maybe not good at all? Should I wear one of those H1N1 approved face mask when I am riding around? what do you guys think/do?

Zero, always has been. Face masks may help to prevent you spreading it, and that’s probably debatable.

plus you are 10 times more likely to get killed in traffic than to get H1N1 during a ride
I wouldn’t worry about a flu that much…

:happybiker:

the ONLY face masks recommended by CDC as adequate for H1N1 protection are class N95 or higher. These all have tight fitting seals against the face and sub-micron filter size, i.e. less than 0.1 µm filters for the air. they are restrictive, hot and expensive. anything else will not effectively prevent virus inhalation.

made by several companies including 3M

see here for example

I wouldn’t worry about it, as the swine flu is not necessarily any worse than any other kind of 'flu, except for already ill individuals, just like regular 'flu, and a tiny percentage of otherwise fit people who seem to react differently to it, probably because of differences in their immune history.

Those masks they sell in scooter shops only prevent bugs entering your mouth. Thats how good filtering on those things are.