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wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Mask Together Colorado
@wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
69 followers 21 following 16 posts
Sharing information about community, events and action steps in Colorado that align with the mission of Mask Together America.
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wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Our Clean Air Event was a huge success! Recording at youtu.be/eVfbeJ8J8Ww.

The takeaway? Breathing clean air is a necessity, and we can use simple tools to provide layered protection from airborne hazards, ranging from COVlD to wildfire smoke.

#MaskTogetherColorado #MaskTogetherAmerica 😷 ❤️
A photo after the event showing panelist Jose Luis-Jimenez (upper left), event organizer Susan (upper middle), panelist and board member Fiona Gau (upper right), moderator Maria(lower left), and co-organizer Mish (lower right). Everyone is in respirators of various sorts, allowing each to breathe clean air as well as filtering the air that they breathe out around others. Fiona (at left) and Maria (at right) watch as Jose answers a question at the panelist table. Panelist Stephanie Williams is shown on the TV screen behind them, participating remotely. An air filter whirs behind Fiona and UV light illuminates the ceiling. Mish stands behind the tools table, showing an array of clean air tools to help you stay safe and healthy. All four of the Aranet CO2 monitors that the organizers and panelists brought agreed - the air in that room was extremely clean! Outdoor air tends to read in the 400s or 500s in terms of CO2 concentration, and despite being indoors the highest readings we got were in the mid-600s. We opened the sliding door and a window and had several large air filters running, as well as UV lights to deactivate viruses in the air. Our Clean Air Event lived up to its name!
July 23, 2025 at 7:19 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
So excited for our clean air event next week! Tuesday, July 8, 6-7 pm, Denver. In person and zoom access available, featuring local experts! Registration link and details here: coloradocommunitymedia.com/2025/06/27/p...

#MaskTogetherColorado #MaskTogetherAmerica ❤️
Maria from Mask Together Colorado is shown wearing an Omnimask clear front respirator with 3M pancake filters, holding an Aranet CO2 monitor, and wearing a Mask Together Colorado T shirt that says "Breathe Clean Air. Anywhere. #MaskTogetherColorado" An image showing three more of the MaskTogetherColorado organizers, the Mask Together Colorado logo, and the headline "PRESS RELEASE: Local volunteers run an upcoming Clean Air Even with expert panelists amid weakening public health resources". It then quotes the article as saying "“I hope we can help everyone access better tools and data for staying healthy in this day and age,” says Susan, another organizer in the group, whose caregiving role means that she cannot afford to ignore such issues. “Coloradans deserve the freedom to make choices that protect their health and their loved ones, and that includes access to vaccines, the right to wear a mask, access to data, and telehealth options. We’re fighting for those rights.”"
July 2, 2025 at 8:59 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Mask Together Colorado will be holding a Clean Air Panel in hybrid (in-person plus Zoom streaming) mode on July 8 - all are welcome! Register at bit.ly/3ZpuKz3 #CleanAir #MaskTogetherColorado #MaskTogetherAmerica 😷❤️
An ad for the event with the Mask Together Colorado logo and a sun at the top on a blue background, saying "Join Mask Together Colorado's Clean Air Panel - Tuesday, July 8, 6-7 PM, Denver, CO - In-person and virtual access available" Then a section below with a wildfire smoke background saying: "What are we breathing? How dirty air is making us sick... and what YOU can do to stay healthy! Q&A with expert panelists: Dr. Jose Luis-Jimenez, Aerosol scientist [headshot above] Fiona Gau, Public Health Expert [headshot above] Stephanie Williams, Community Activist [headshot above] "
June 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
If you have a beard, another option for improved fit is to tie a band around your face to compress it. Called the Singh Thattha technique, it is temporary and highly effective (see the explanation here: blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-scienc...) 3/3

#MaskTogetherColorado #MaskTogetherAmerica 😷❤️
An image showing an exercise band tied around a face under a respirator to compress a beard, known as the Singh Thattha technique.
May 13, 2025 at 11:26 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
N95 and KN95 and KF94 masks can lose 20-30% efficacy from only a 10 mm beard, according to this study: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... 2/3
A chart showing relative fit factor for N95, KF94, KN95, cloth and surgical masks at each beard length from 1 mm to 10 mm. There is a steady decrease shown for the respirators, whereas cloth and surgical start at low effectiveness and remain unchanged.
May 13, 2025 at 11:26 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Shave a bit for a better fit! 🪒😷👍

Even a short beard can make an N95 or KN95 significantly less protective. Shaving in the areas where the mask touches your face is an easy fix!

1/3
At left: A woman wearing a fake mustache and a comical amount of shaving cream on the areas in which a mask touches her face, holding a razor and smiling. At right: the same woman wearing a black Breatheteq mask with a head strap and yellow mask chain. Text: "Shave a bit for a better fit! Shaving where your mask touches your face can provide a huge safety boost! ❤️😷"
May 13, 2025 at 11:26 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
The best part? We came together as a community and helped people find masks with a good fit so they can be confidently protected in this world. We #MaskTogetherColorado and keep each other safe! #MaskTogetherAmerica 😷❤️
Two people getting fit tested in parallel at a park on a beautiful day.
April 7, 2025 at 7:53 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
We played games in the waiting area, fit tested all sorts of masks, and even used SIP valves as probe holes sometimes so participants could use it with a straw to have a refreshing drink afterwards!
Three participants at the fit testing event playing a game in the waiting area on the picnic tables. A participant using a SIP valve to drink through a straw inserted in an airtight valve on her fit-tested respirator.
April 7, 2025 at 7:53 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
It was a beautiful day, and we made the event COVlD-safer by staying outdoors, requiring masks, asking people to stay home if they are sick, and recommending testing before the event. Layered precautions work!
A participant being fit tested by Fiona with the PortaCount machine. Both the tester and the participant are looking at the camera and giving a thumbs up.
April 7, 2025 at 7:53 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
We had so much fun at yesterday's fit testing event! Our fit testers Parent Mishmash and Fiona fit tested all our participants in parallel using two PortaCount machines, which measure how much cleaner the air is inside your mask vs outside.
Maria, Parenting Mishmash, and Fiona from Mask Together Colorado from left to right, wearing a black Breatheteq mask, a green Rackmask, and a white Vflex respectively, outside at a park on a sunny day.
April 7, 2025 at 7:53 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Proud to be evermaskers here! #evermasking #MaskTogetherColorado
Maria, Parent Mishmash, and Susan from Mask Together Colorado outside at a park in masks together.
April 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Mask Together Colorado is about protecting one another in our local community. Helping you find a mask that fits best is just one of those ways! ❤️😷 #MaskTogetherColorado #MaskTogethetAmerica
Upper left: A woman being fit tested with a Portacount. Upper right: Mask Together Colorado organizers posing for the camera in masks. Text: "Community Fit Testing Festival By Mask Together Colorado, For You. Prairie Sky Park, 9381 Crossington Way, Lone Tree, CO 80124, Sunday, April 6, 2-4 PM, Rain Date: April 20
March 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
Let's mask together Colorado! The best way to protect oneself (and others) from COVlD and other airborne dangers is by wearing an N95 quality mask, especially indoors. We can do this together!
A woman wearing a black Breatheteq KN95 with a lanyard to improve the fit factor on Portacount fit testing.
December 15, 2024 at 5:53 PM