In fact it is forbidden for a citizen to own an N95 mask as those are only for medical use.
If you have an N95 mask it can be confiscated.
Anyone should be able to use good PPE assuming one is educated enough on their use, limitations, etc.
One can understand why at the beginning spokespeople were promoted in the media some places initially against 'masks' (lumping respirators into the terminology, to the confusion of many) since there was a legitimate shortage of the disposable respirators (eg: the N95 variety) for hospitals which typically dispose of them by requirement between patients (ie: they need a
lot of them) and they didn't want a public rush on them like the toilet paper scenario. They also had to consider that most wouldn't know how to properly handle or use them (eg: cross-contamination issues, necessary facial seal, disposal/decontamination). Further they would have considered the negative psychological effect it may have on some if they knew the difference in effectiveness between say surgical style masks and actual respirators (eg: feeling of inadequate protection).
Then the focus thankfully changed to where collective responsibility was emphasized by wearing any form of mask (which Asian countries already practiced), with the goal being (mostly) mitigating others from one's own droplets rather than necessarily fully protecting the wearer. This was helped by the DIY mask efforts which promote regular decontamination via accessible means like boiling.
So I was thinking with the whole face shield thing, if you really wanted safe protection and didn't care about looking like a weirdo, what if you wore a mask w/filter & then on top of that wore a motorcycle helmet with the visor down?
theoretically seems like it should keep you safe from the neck up in all 360 directions as long as you wash your clothes/hands after going through an infection zone and don't touch your face.
So long as you can breath at all in there
Not sure where helmets draw air in from when closed.
Longer post re PPE
If someone is more concerned than the average person a half-mask respirator with dedicated particulate cartridge filters (these are more suitable for regular decontamination than the organic vapor kind with an additional particulate attachment which feature exposed filters), along with goggles that use indirect venting or are fully sealed are a more ideal option, particularly legitimate 3M respirator/filters since they've been found to have a better shelf life than other brands (though avoid the plethora of Chinese counterfeits sold and branded as '3M' on online marketplaces). These filters don't require disposal after use unlike the common disposable kind and some hospitals have been informed by 3M representatives they last an entire pandemic wave based on prior pandemics (assuming proper care and exterior decontamination), which makes them more affordable long-term than disposal kind while also providing a much better facial seal.
All the info and data is out there about this (studies on respirator decontamination and effectiveness, handling) and has been since this all began but frankly most won't go this route since it looks extreme and they barely want to use any masks properly. That said it offers better protection for the wearer assuming proper use.
