Powered Respirators (PAPR) for covid and allergen control

[runcyclexcski]

Hi all,

Has anyone tried Powered Respirators (PAPRs) , like this one, for covid and/or allergen control?

amazon.co.uk/Dr%C3%A4ger-Ai...

Apparently, medical staff in covid wards in properly funded hospitals use those. I currently use a regular respirator (3M, 7000 series) for my allergies and covid. But I cannot get back to work while wearing it; I only last about 2 hrs as I get "tired of breathing" -- either due to the extra air resistance, or some penetration through valves, or both. So I am looking for an "assisted breathing" solution, like a pressurized respirator, to be able to work while waiting for Xolair to kick in.

PAPRs all cost about 1K. The certification costs money, I suppose, but 1K is nothing compared to the cost of long-term disability due to asthma.

"My" Xolair should start within "1-4 weeks" (as my pharmacist told me), and may take 3 months to work. Even if it works, I understand I can lose it at any time, if some beurocrat ticks a wrong box, and decides I do not need it. So I am looking for ways to keep working even if asthma is not well controlled. I've been living in a pressurized clean air chamber for the last 2.5 months (2.5x1.2x1.25 meters). The chamber works, but there is more to life than reading emails, reading/writing papers, and watching movies.

[runcyclexcski]

Paper on PAPR fitting at a hospital that has since seen zero patient-to-doctor transmission after all staff have received one.

bjanaesthesia.org/action/sh...

[Wheesy]

I use my respirator mask quite often when attending hospital for appointments etc and find it most beneficial and does not affect my breathing at all. Thde only problem is sometimes it may steam up my glasses. By the way as a retired heating and plumbing engineer I purchased mine for under £20.00 from Plumbfix {screwfix].and the replacement filters are not very expensive. They are a little bit heavy around the face but I soon got used to it.Stay Safe

[runcyclexcski in reply to Wheesy]

>>>it may steam up my glasses

Wheesy, there are respirators in which the exhale valve is facing downwards (the 3M 7000); no issues with fogging in these at all. When I have no asthma exacerbations, I get no issues with the extra pressure drop in respirators, either (I skied and ran marathons in respirators); the PAPR was meant to help me work during asthma exacerbations when lungs are stressed out due to any extra additional pressure drop.

[Wheesy in reply to runcyclexcski]

Thanks for the useful information