Does anyone know if a N95 mask should be used for the period of months during chemo and radiation treatments due to immunity risks and COVID pandemic? Just not sure how careful will have to be during treatment.

Ask your oncologist?

Fenrir said:

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Ask your oncologist?

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This. My bff is taking chemo and uses a regular mask. Of course she never leaves the house.

Ask your oncologist. I'm an oncology nurse at a free standing clinic. Hardly any of my patients are wearing N95s. Most are wearing cloth masks.

But again, ask your oncologist.

"The CDC does not recommend N95 masks for anyone other than health care providers and/or other first responders. Wearing a face covering may help a person with COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others. The spread COVID 19 can be reduced when facial coverings are used along with other preventive measures, including social distancing, frequent hand washing and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces".

This certainly applies to our cancer patients that are on chemotherapy and/or radiation. There is no known benefit for N95 masks over face coverings in general for our patients as long as the OTHER preventive measures are observed and followed as well. The best recommendation has been stated already, speak with your oncologist. N95's are much easier to get at this time and if I have a patient with access to N95's without limiting access to health care workers, I would approve.

Keep track of how many times the mask is used. Where I work, with non Covid patients, we use mask 5 times and discard. With Covid patients, use it once and discard.