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Free N95 mask distribution starts this week at select North Texas pharmacies

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Free N95 masks from the federal government have started rolling out, and while distribution plans are still in the works for many parts of North Texas, pharmacies are slated to start passing out masks as early as Thursday.

Facilities that are part of the federal retail pharmacy program and federal community health centers are the two main funnels for mask distribution plans, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The department earlier this week kicked off its plan to distribute 400 million N95 masks in response to the recent surge of omicron cases.

The masks offer better protection against COVID-19 transmission compared to cloth or surgical masks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kirsten Allen, a spokeswoman for U.S. Health and Human Services, said state and county health departments were not included in the rollout so the federal government could “move as quickly as possible in making masks available.”

“The Administration started to ship masks at the end of last week, and masks have already begun to be available at pharmacies and community health centers,” Allen said in a written statement. “The program will be fully up and running by early February.”

She added that the N95 mask distribution plan is the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history.

Each person will be allotted a maximum of three masks under the federal N95 mask distribution plan.

Representatives of large retail pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens told The Dallas Morning News that masks are ready for distribution but did not specify how many stores would give them out.

Meanwhile, only two federally approved community health centers in Texas — one in Waco and another in San Antonio — have currently been selected to be part of the N95 distribution process, according to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration website.

Across Collin, Dallas and Tarrant counties, 30medical facilities are federally recognized as community health centers, according to the Texas Association of Community Health Centers.

Dr. Roxana Cruz, the association’s director of medical and clinical affairs, said it is not uncommon for the federal government to start with a small number of centers in the beginning phases of distributing pandemic-related resources like it did with vaccines and antiviral medication.

She said community health centers, which provide care to underserved and uninsured communities, filled out surveys so that the federal agency could prioritize which organizations would be part of the initial rollout plans for N95 masks.

“Two is a small number, so we are very hopeful that more are coming soon,” she said, referencing the two community health centers that are included in mask distribution plans.

Unlike the federal rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, state and county health departments are not a cog in the distribution process.

Texas Department of State Health Services and Dallas County Health and Human services confirmed recently that they are not involved in the N95 distribution plans.

Twenty-one companies, including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kroger and Costco, are part of the federal retail pharmacy program, according to the CDC’s website.

Scott Goldberg, a Walgreens spokesman, said the company expects to start passing out free N95 masks on Friday, but did not specify how many or which locations would have them available.

“Participating stores will have signage indicating mask availability,” Goldberg said in an email.

CVS spokeswoman Shannon Dillon said the company expects the first shipments of masks to be delivered “as early as Thursday.” She said all CVS pharmacies inside Target stores, and those that are currently offering COVID-19 vaccinations, will carry N95 masks.

Like Walgreens, participating CVS pharmacies will have signs showing which locations are offering free masks, she added.

Kristi Bare, a Kroger spokeswoman, said N95 masks will be available at any store that has a pharmacy at the location, adding that the company would start offering masks this week.

Lauren Willis, a spokeswoman for Walmart and Sam’s Club, said free N95 masks will be available over the “next few weeks” but did not say which locations would carry them.

She said Sam’s Club will not turn away people without memberships who want to pick up a mask.

Costco Wholesale Corp., which also operates under a membership model, declined to answer questions regarding mask distribution plans.

Staff writer Maria Halkias contributed to this report.

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Free N95 masks: US pharmacies are rolling out free masks as Covid-19 tests begin to arrive in the mail

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The Biden administration seeks to ramp up access to high-quality masks amid the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Meanwhile, the free tests started shipping out last week, and are part of the administration’s effort to increase access to testing around the United States.

Masks already are set up for distribution at some Hy-Vee and Meijer grocery stores in the Midwest, with more expected at Southeastern Grocers stores later this week.

“Last week masks began shipping and arriving at pharmacies and grocers around (the) country. We expect that throughout the week the number of stores and N95s arriving to scale up significantly,” an administration official told CNN on Monday.

The Biden administration announced last week that the 400 million N95 masks, which are coming from the Strategic National Stockpile, will be distributed to pharmacies and community health centers, with the program expected to be fully up and running by early February. The masks are arriving at their destinations with accompanying flyers and signage from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which paid for the masks.

“Mask up and maximize your protection,” the flyers say, encouraging Americans to “help slow the spread of Covid by protecting yourself and those around you.”

The flyer, which is being distributed in both English and Spanish, notes that up to three of the free masks are “available to every person in the U.S.” It directs people to cdc.gov/coronavirus and includes a QR code with instructions on how to properly put on and take off the masks.
The masks are rolling out just as some in the United States are receiving US Postal Service packages containing free Covid-19 antigen tests they ordered.
Gourjoine Wade of San Antonio, Texas, told CNN he ordered the tests the day covidtests.gov went live last week. He wanted to have them on hand and ready for when they are needed.

“It’s another tool in the toolbox of keeping me, my family, and our community safe,” Wade said.

Where masks are arriving

Some of the first masks arrived in the Midwest on Friday, including at Hy-Vee grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Meijer stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Masks will also begin arriving at Southeastern Grocers locations as early this Friday, the official added, and will be available at Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie in-store pharmacies.

Mills Civic Hy-Vee in West Des Moines, Iowa, received masks Friday, along with nearly 150 other Hy-Vee locations. Photos provided by the store show employees handing out the individually wrapped packages of masks, with flyers positioned nearby for customers to take home.

“I can confirm that we began receiving and distributing our first shipments of N95 masks from HHS on Friday, Jan. 21. At this time, many Hy-Vee pharmacy locations have received and are distributing their mask allocations. All 275 Hy-Vee pharmacies in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin will have masks by mid-week,” Christina Gayman, a spokesperson for Hy-Vee, Inc., wrote in an email to CNN on Monday.

“We have received many positive comments from customers who are happy we have the masks and are distributing them so quickly. We still have masks available at all locations that have received them so far,” Gayman added.

At Meijer locations, the masks will be placed on tables near the store entrances and distributed by greeters. Meijer confirmed to CNN on Monday that it has received “an estimated 3 million masks” that will be made available for no charge to any customer who needs them.

CVS pharmacies are also expected to receive and begin distributing free N95 masks in the coming weeks as supply from the federal government comes in, spokesman Matt Blanchette told CNN in an email Monday.

Walgreens expects free N95 masks will be available at some locations starting this Friday, according to a company spokesperson.

“We are pleased to partner with the Administration to make N95 masks in varying sizes available free of charge at participating Walgreens locations while supplies last,” a Walgreens spokesperson wrote in an email to CNN on Monday.

“Customers and patients can pick up a maximum of three masks per person,” the email noted. “We expect the first stores to begin offering masks on Friday, Jan. 28, and will continue on a rolling basis in the days and weeks following. Participating stores will have signage indicating mask availability.”

The first 100 community health centers participating in the rollout of the federal government’s free N95 mask program will also start this week, Amy Simmons Farber, a spokesperson for the National Association of Community Health Centers wrote in an email to CNN on Monday. The Health Resources and Services Administration or HRSA oversees the Community Health Centers program for the federal government, and notes on its website that the HRSA Health Center COVID-19 N95 Mask Program will begin incrementally, providing N95 masks to approximately 100 to 200 health centers in the initial phase.

“These health centers should receive and start distributing masks before the end of January 2022,” according to HRSA. Farber added that by mid-February, HRSA anticipates that masks will be made available to all health centers.

“For now, the program is limited to around 300 Community Health Centers to ensure the logistics of receiving, storing and distributing the masks are worked out. Our understanding is the program will be widened to include more health centers as part of the Biden Administration’s effort to ensure underserved communities have equitable access to public health tools,” Farber wrote in the email.

“Our understanding is that these select health centers should be receiving the masks by the end of January,” Farber wrote. “Each individual health center will need time to develop a distribution plan and notification process for patients. If you are a patient, check with your local health center’s web site for announcements. Bear in mind that most health care systems are at capacity and workers are suffering from pandemic exhaustion — and health centers are no exception. Try to avoid overwhelming call centers for now.”

Masks are ‘largest deployment’ yet

This rollout of free masks has been called the federal government’s “largest deployment” yet.

“This effort represents the largest deployment by the Strategic National Stockpile to date and it’s also the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history,” Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS wrote in a blog post Friday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not plan to change its guidance on mask usage as the administration ramps up access to these masks.

The CDC recommends Americans wear well-fitting masks, which can include multiple layers of cloth masks, N95s, or K95s.

“Masking is a critical public health tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask,” the CDC said in a statement earlier this month.

“Some masks and respirators offer higher levels of protection than others, and some may be harder to tolerate or wear consistently than others,” CDC guidelines say. “It is most important to wear a well-fitted mask or respirator correctly that is comfortable for you and that provides good protection.”

By having a better fit and certain materials — such as polypropylene fibers — acting as both mechanical and electrostatic barriers, N95 masks help to better prevent tiny particles from getting into the nose or mouth and must be fitted to the face to function properly.

“CDC continues to recommend that any mask is better than no mask. And we do encourage all Americans to wear a well-fitting mask to protect themselves and prevent the spread of Covid-19,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters in a briefing earlier this month. “And that recommendation is not going to change.”

CNN’s Paul Murphy contributed to this report.

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US to Distribute 400M N95 Masks Next Week. Here’s Where to Get One in Illinois – NBC Chicago

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A total of 400 million N95 masks will be made available for free starting next week as U.S. health officials assert the importance of wearing highly-protective face coverings during the current omicron surge.

The Biden administration previously announced plans to partner with pharmacies and community health centers to distribute masks from the country’s Strategic National Stockpile.

While shipments were expected to begin this week, the program likely won’t be fully operational until early February.

Masks will be distributed at health centers and pharmacies enrolled in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, a nationwide program that relies on such entities to help expand COVID-19 vaccine access.

Here’s a list of where you’ll be able to find a free N95 mask in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Albertsons Companies (including Osco, Jewel-Osco and other subsidiaries)
  • Costco
  • CPESN USA
  • CVS
  • Good Neighbor Pharmacy and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation’s pharmacy services administrative organization (PSAO), Elevate Provider Network
  • Health Mart Pharmacies
  • Hy-Vee
  • LeaderNET and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, Cardinal Health’s PSAOs
  • Meijer
  • The Kroger Co. (including Kroger, Mariano’s, Pick-n-Save and other brands under the company)
  • Piggy Wiggly
  • Schnucks
  • Walgreens
  • Walmart (including Sam’s Club)

To find a health center near you, click here. A full list of which pharmacies and retailers are participating in the program can be found here.

Each resident will be limited to three masks per person to ensure broad access to the program, according to a White House official.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N-95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on masks for the general public Jan. 14, saying people “may choose” to wear N95 and KN95 masks because they offer the best protection against Covid. But the agency stopped short of recommending that people seek out certain masks over others.

During the early days of the pandemic, people in the U.S. were urged to leave N95 masks and the KN95 versions made in China for health care workers, according to NBC News. But since then, the U.S. has bolstered its manufacturing capacity, and the country now has a stockpile of 750 million N95 masks as part of the Strategic National Stockpile for health care workers.

Some members of Congress have pressured Biden to more aggressively address the financial cost of Covid tests and masks to shift the burden away from U.S. households. The N95 masks can sell for as little as $1 and be reused several times, but they can add up to be more expensive than reusable cloth masks over time.

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Walgreens ‘Pleased to Partner’ With Biden Administration in Distributing Free N95 Masks – NBC Chicago

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As part of its ongoing battle to push back a surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations related to the omicron variant, the Biden administration is expected to make 400 million N95 masks available for free to United States residents, and Walgreens says that it will participate in the program.

The Chicago-based company announced that it would make the masks of varying sizes available to the public, free of charge, beginning in the near future.

When Can You Get Them and How? What to Know About Free N95 Masks From White House

“We are pleased to partner with the administration to make N95 masks in varying sizes available free of charge at select Walgreens locations nationwide while supplies last,” a company spokesperson said. “We know masks are an effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

According to a White House statement, the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly-protective masks on-hand.

The masks are expected to be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country, and final details are still being worked out, according to Walgreens officials.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N-95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week.

“We are currently finalizing the operational details of this program and will provide information once available,” the company said.

The masks will begin shipping this week, and distribution will begin later this month, according to officials. Each individual will be able to get up to three of the masks.

The news comes after the CDC recommended that residents wear properly-fitted N95 and KN95 masks, as those coverings were shown to be more effective at protecting individuals from the omicron variant of the virus.

Cloth masks can still be worn, according to officials.

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Biden Will Provide 400 Million N95 Masks for Free

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WASHINGTON — Two years into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans who have had a hard time getting their hands on masks and at-home tests are suddenly being showered with offers of freebies — courtesy of taxpayers and the Biden administration, which had come under sharp criticism for not acting sooner.

On Wednesday, the administration announced that it would make 400 million nonsurgical N95 masks available free of charge at community health centers and retail pharmacies across the United States. The White House said that to “ensure broad access for all Americans,” there would be a limit of three masks per person.

The news came a day after the administration rolled out covidtests.gov, its new website where Americans can order at-home coronavirus tests at no cost.

Taken together, the moves represent a stepped-up effort by the White House to combat Omicron, the fast-moving coronavirus variant that first appeared in November and has fueled a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the country. But some public health experts said that while the efforts were welcome, they were too late.

“It will not be as impactful as it would have been had we done it at the beginning of the Omicron surge or the beginning of the Delta surge,” said Julia Raifman, a health law and public policy expert at the Boston University School of Public Health.

The White House called the distribution of masks the “largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history.” Wednesday’s announcement came days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance to acknowledge that cloth masks do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators.

The N95 masks will come from the Strategic National Stockpile, the nation’s emergency reserve of medical supplies. The stockpile was badly depleted at the outset of the pandemic, leaving health care workers without masks and other personal protective gear essential to fighting the coronavirus. As late as December 2020, the United States was still facing alarming shortages of personal protective gear.

The decision to distribute masks from the stockpile to the public is a sharp departure from prior practice; in the past, they were reserved for health care workers.

According to the C.D.C.’s new description of masks, well-fitting respirators, including N95s, offer the highest level of protection. Their name refers to their ability to filter out 95 percent of all airborne particles when used correctly.

This month, in a series of opinion articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association, six former advisers to President Biden’s transition team called for a new pandemic strategy that would include making N95 masks free and easily available to all Americans, and vastly increasing the number of free coronavirus tests.

But Mr. Biden faced challenges, particularly on the testing front. His administration had pledged to ramp up testing capacity but had not done so by the time the Omicron variant emerged. So while he announced shortly before Christmas that his administration would purchase 500 million rapid tests to distribute free to the public, Americans had to wait for them.

“They talked a lot about substantially ramping up testing and it didn’t happen,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, adding, “I think that was a real failure of the administration, to not have more tests available by the time we got into the holidays.”

Last week, Mr. Biden stepped up the testing initiative and announced that his administration would purchase another 500 million tests, bringing the total to one billion. Jeffrey D. Zients, the president’s coronavirus response coordinator, also told reporters last week that the administration was “actively exploring” ways to make high-quality masks available.

Dr. Jha said that distributing free high-quality masks may only “help on the margins,” because just a small minority of Americans are interested in wearing them. He said he agreed with Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. director, who has said that the best mask is one that people will wear.

The White House said in a statement on Wednesday that the government would begin shipping N95 masks to pharmacies and health centers at the end of this week, and that the masks were expected to be available starting at the end of next week. The program will be in full gear by early February, the statement said.

An investigation by The New York Times published in March 2021 found that for years, the Strategic National Stockpile was heavily weighted toward protecting against bioterror attacks; throughout most of the past decade, nearly half its budget was spent on the anthrax vaccine. At the same time, China made half the world’s masks before the coronavirus emerged there, and the country was hoarding them.

The Biden administration promised to correct the stockpile’s deficiencies. At a Senate hearing last week, Dawn O’Connell, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, said the stockpile now had 737 million N95 masks, all from domestic manufacturers.

Lisa O’Connor, the former chief nursing officer at Boston Medical Center, said she was concerned that distributing stockpile assets to the public would put health care workers at risk.

“This precious resource should be in the hands of health care providers only, which has been the practice and guidance for 20 years,” said Ms. O’Connor, who is now a health care consultant at FTI Consulting.

But Ms. O’Connell told senators last week that the government was soliciting proposals from companies that have the ability to produce 141 million N95 masks per month in a crisis and that would be able to manufacture them at a much lower rate when demand is lower.

The idea is for the stockpile to “keep this capacity that we currently have going,” she said, “even when demand diminishes.”

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How long can you wear an N95 mask, and other care tips

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“I wear mine for a week,” said Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech.

An N95 mask’s material and filtration ability aren’t “going to degrade unless you physically rub it or poke holes in it,” Marr said. “You’d have to be in really polluted air … for several days before it lost its ability to filter out particles. So, you can really wear them for a long time.

“People have been talking about 40 hours — I think that’s fine. Really, it’s going to get gross from your face or the straps will get too loose or maybe break before you’re going to lose filtration ability,” she added.

The reason why N95 masks are designated as single use is because they’re categorized as medical masks, said Erin Bromage, an associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

In medical settings, health care workers change masks more frequently to avoid “cross-contaminating a patient room with equipment that was worn in a room of an infectious person and then moving to the next room and bringing that infection with you,” he said. “When you then take a medical-grade thing that’s single-use and put it in the general public, we’re not worried about you cross-contaminating different environments you’re being in. It’s really about providing protection to you.”

N95s “used to be only $1 or so each,” Bromage added, but prices have recently spiked as public demand for these masks has increased amid Omicron variant concerns. If you safely reuse N95s, you’re getting at least two or three days of use from one mask, Bromage added, but “I realize that it still adds up to an expense.”

Some local public health departments, such as the Maryland and Milwaukee health departments, are offering free N95 masks.

Here’s what else you should know about safely wearing and reusing N95 masks.

Why N95s?

Compared to cloth masks, properly fitted N95s better prevent tiny particles from getting into your nose or mouth thanks to certain materials — such as polypropylene fibers — acting as both mechanical and electrostatic barriers to shared air, the primary driver of coronavirus infection.
The difference between N95 and KN95 masks is where the mask is certified, according to Oklahoma’s state health department. The US certifies N95s, whereas China approves KN95s. Around 60% of KN95 respirators sold in the US are counterfeit and don’t meet the requirements of the National Institute for Occupational Health & Safety, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“If they’re made to the standard and certified by the appropriate boards in their country like NIOSH here, they all do basically the same thing,” Bromage previously told CNN. “But there is a ton of knockoffs that are not certified in the KN95 side of things, that may meet the standards but they’re not certified to meet it. And there’s others that clearly don’t.”

N95 masks “are not made for kids,” Marr said. “For larger kids, my 10-year-old wears an N95 that comes in a small size (intended for adults).”

“If you see an N95 as marketed for children, that should raise a red flag,” Marr added. “There will be KN95 and KF94s that are designed for and marketed for children. With those, it’s the same issue as we discussed for adults, which is to make sure you’re getting them from a trusted, reputable source, because there’s a problem with fake KN95s that are not nearly as protective as they should be.”

Project N95, the National Clearinghouse working to provide equitable access to personal protective equipment and coronavirus tests, is a reputable source for N95 and KN95 masks, Marr said.

KF94s are Korean-standard masks.

You might have to try a few different brands or shapes of KN95s, KF94s or small N95s to find one that fits well and is comfortable for your child, Marr said. If you still have trouble fitting the mask to your child’s face, you can tie the ear loops or use toggles or cord lock adjusters to ensure the mask fits tightly enough, she suggested. This CDC video on the knot and tuck method might also help.

Reusing an N95 mask — and when not to

To reuse N95 masks as safely as possible, avoid touching the front outer part of the mask when putting it on, Marr said. Instead, try to handle it by the edges or straps. “Definitely avoid the part right in front of where you breathe, like right in front of your nose and mouth,” she added.

Even after wearing an N95 in a crowded indoor setting — such as a subway — Marr said “these masks are really designed to handle a lot of particles and will continue to work.”

However, a known exposure should affect your approach. If “I was working in an office and I was wearing an N95 and someone in my office had tested positive, I’d know I was well-protected,” Bromage said. “But I’d probably throw out that mask. Because that mask has done its job of trapping the virus and I don’t even want to take the risk of it being there and getting on my hands or whatever.”

That you could have unknowingly been near an infected person in any other public space — such as a subway or grocery store — while wearing an N95 mask is possible. Staying at least 6 feet away from others as much as possible can help reduce Covid-19 risk.

If the mask becomes damp, visibly dirty, bent, creased or otherwise damaged — including from wearing makeup — you need to replace it since these conditions could decrease the mask’s effectiveness, Marr and Bromage said.

“The longer you wear it, the more it’s actually trapping material — which means that the breathability, the resistance of the mask, starts to decrease,” Bromage said. “One of the first indicators of being able to change it if it looks nice and clean is that it just feels a little harder to breathe through. There appears to be more resistance with every breath.”

How to sanitize N95 masks

The longer and more frequently you wear an N95 mask, the more contaminated it can become. But particles will die off over the course of a few to several hours, Marr said, and even faster if you set the face covering aside in sunlight.

“Things like temperature and sunlight have an effect, but you don’t want to be throwing it in an oven or microwave,” Bromage said. “I used to stick mine on the dashboard of my car in summer, and that would do more than enough in regards to the heat and the direct light that it was getting. But in reality, there’s nothing you can really do to extend its life through cleaning that is accessible to an average person.”

Because N95 masks have that special static charge that helps filter out viruses, you shouldn’t wash the masks, as water will dissipate the charge, Marr said.

Overall, the contamination risk in reusing N95 masks is “lower, much lower, than the risk of you not wearing an N95 and breathing in particles,” Marr said. “I don’t want people to avoid wearing an N95 because they’re worried about contamination on an N95. The N95 is going to provide a major net benefit.”

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Study finds N95 masks more effective than surgical, cloth masks

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Heavy duty N95 and KN95 masks are best at warding of COVID-19, while commonly worn surgical and cloth face coverings filter only about 10 percent of exhaled aerosols, according to a new study.

“The results show that a standard surgical and three-ply cloth masks … filter at apparent efficiencies of only 12.4% and 9.8%, respectively,” according to the University of Waterloo study’s conclusion.  

But KN95 and N95 masks afford “substantially higher apparent filtration efficiencies (60% and 46% for R95 and KN95 masks, respectively) than the more commonly used cloth (10%) and surgical masks (12%), and therefore are still the recommended choice in mitigating airborne disease transmission indoors,” reads a summary of the study, published July 21.

Pricier, high-quality N95 and KN95 masks “filtered out more than 50 per cent of the exhaled aerosols that can accumulate indoors and spread the COVID-19 virus when inhaled by other people,” the study found.

The study was published in the journal Physics of Fluids. It was conducted in an large, indoor and unventilated room.

Exhaled aerosols from a subject not wearing a mask.
Waterloo Engineering Youtube
Exhaled aerosols from a subject wearing a surgical mask.
Waterloo Engineering Youtube
Exhaled aerosols from a subject wearing a KN95 mask.
Waterloo Engineering Youtube

One of the authors of the study said there are significant differences in the efficacy of various masks.

“There is no question it is beneficial to wear any face covering, both for protection in close proximity and at a distance in a room,” said Serhiy Yarusevych, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering. “However, there is a very serious difference in the effectiveness of different masks when it comes to controlling aerosols.”

He explained that the study’s findings tracked with “common sense” and prevailing health-care practices.

Professor Serhiy Yarusevych noted that mask types have significant differences in efficacy but said that “there is no question it is beneficial to wear any face covering.”
Alamy Stock Photo

“A lot of this may seem like common sense,” said Yarusevych. “There is a reason, for instance, that medical practitioners wear N95 masks – they work much better.

“The novelty here is that we have provided solid numbers and rigorous analysis to support that assumption,” he added.

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Here’s how to tell the difference between a fake N95 mask and a real one

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Between the time the pandemic began and the year ended, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized over 14.6 million counterfeit face masks entering the US, the agency told CNN.

N95 masks are considered the gold standard for mask usage, but counterfeit doppelgängers may threaten Americans’ safety. Not meeting US safety standards means they may not filter out airborne particles effectively, the agency said.

Here’s how you can spot a fake N95 mask.

The most important thing: NIOSH approval

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is a part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focuses on worker safety and health.

Before filtering facepiece respirators — a fancy term that includes N95 masks — can be used in any workplace, they must be certified by NIOSH.

For an N95 mask to get a NIOSH stamp of approval, it needs to filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

When finding out if an N95 mask is fake or not, NIOSH markings are your compass. But there’s some vetting you can do before you even have a mask in hand.

What to consider before you buy

When buying masks online, there are a few things you can ask yourself, according to CDC guidance on spotting fake PPE.

If you’re buying directly through a website:

  • Are there typos, bad grammar or other errors on the site?
  • Are there website flaws, like unfinished or blank pages, dummy text, broken links and misspelled domains?

If you’re buying through a third-party marketplace:

  • Does the listing call the product “genuine” or “real”? Legitimate companies don’t need to tell buyers their products are real — at least not in the product name.
  • Have reviews been left on the product, or on the seller? Buyers unhappy with the product may reveal that it is poorly made or illegitimate.
  • Is the price too good to be true? It probably is.
  • Is the seller selling the same items over time, or keeping with trends? Legitimate businesses tend to stay consistent.
  • Does the seller put their contact information in images? If so, they may be skirting around marketplace policy to keep interactions between buyers and sellers on the site.

How to check if your mask is real

Okay, but what if you’ve already masks off a website or marketplace and don’t know if they’re the real deal?

Here’s your rule-of-thumb: No markings means no approval.

NIOSH-approved masks have an approval label on or within the mask packaging — either on the box or in the users’ instructions. The mask should also have an abbreviated approval marking.

The approval number on your mask should begin with “TC.” The mask should also have a NIOSH logo printed on it. This image from the CDC can help you identify your mask’s markings.
Then, you can check for the approval number on NIOSH certified equipment list.

Some other red flags to look out for include:

  • Any decorative elements, like sequins.
  • Ear loops instead of head bands. Head bands are crucial to the N95’s tight fit.
  • Claims for the of approval for children. NIOSH does not approve masks for children.

Got a real mask? Share these resources

The CDC and NIOSH have resources to help you in spotting counterfeit masks, or even other PPE and medical gear. You can start here and get more tips on vetting masks. You can also look through photos of non-NIOSH-approved masks.
Then, you can read about how to protect yourself from buying counterfeit goods.

Got a fake mask? Report it

Fake masks aren’t the only counterfeit products being sold, nor the only scam to capitalize on the pandemic.

Criminal organizations are also trying to sell counterfeit pharmaceuticals, other PPE and medical devices to “unsuspecting American consumers,” CBP Executive Director for Trade Policies and Programs, John Leonard, told CNN.

Covid-19 has been a fertile time for other scams of all kinds to proliferate — most recently regarding vaccines.
While staying aware and keeping up-to-date, you can report any counterfeit masks to CBP through their reporting system, or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.
You can also report to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center online, or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.

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Health

Shopping for KN95 or N95 face masks to protect yourself from COVID-19? Know this first

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More-infectious variants of the coronavirus and new federal requirements have people rethinking the quality of their face masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 until more people can be vaccinated.

Starting Feb. 2, 2021, masks are required on planes, buses, trains and all public transportation hubs in the United States.

For all of Oregon, face coverings are required for everyone 5 and older in indoor public spaces and outdoors anywhere physical distancing isn’t possible.

Not everyone needs medical-grade N95 filters, but Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourage everyone not at risk to wear a face covering with at least two layers of protection when around people not in their household.

Other health experts recommend most people wear a tightly woven face covering over a disposable surgical mask.

See The Oregonian/OregonLive’s coronavirus coverage

The face coverings should be well-fitted over your nose and mouth (review the CDC’s “seal check”) and you should sanitize or wash your hands when handling masks. Do not touch the mask when wearing it.

People who have been exposed to the coronavirus, have health issues or live in areas with high transmission rates can better protect themselves and others by wearing a certified N95 mask that filters 95% of aerosols people emit when coughing, sneezing, breathing and talking.

But where can you find N95s that meet the highest standards? And how can you keep the cost down? N95 masks were about 50 cents a piece before the coronavirus pandemic, but now prices are around $2 each for KN95 masks imported from China and around $5 for a N95 mask made in the U.S. (A 3M-brand valve-less N95 respirator is $1.41 in an eight-pack at Home Depot.)

David Sugar of Ashland was part of a friend’s group email asking if anyone would like to buy N95 masks in bulk through Costco (100 masks at $3.20 each). But Sugar and his wife, Skye, already had a supply of 3M-brand filters, which they purchased when smoke blanketed Ashland two years ago.

They wear layered cloth masks with a pocket in which they insert the N95 filter when they need to go inside a public place.

A recent study of 10 types of face coverings found that cloth and blue surgical masks partially filter the small COVID-19-spreading particles known as aerosols that people emit, according to Harvard Medical School health experts.

As the number in the name indicates, N95 masks made to U.S. standards and KN95 imported from China, are intended to filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

“Actually a type of respirator, an N95 mask offers more protection than a surgical mask does because it can filter out both large and small particles when the wearer inhales,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

While N95 and KN95 face masks were hard to get and were being reserved mostly for front-line medical workers at the beginning of the pandemic last year, supplies of these items have expanded recently and more people have been ordering them online for personal use.

Before you buy, see the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approved products listed by brand and make sure the manufacturer has a NIOSH certificate.

See other federal guidance on mask standards.

The FDA has a list of non-NIOSH-approved KN95 respirator models approved for emergency use during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

N95 respirators are intended to be used once and then properly disposed of and replaced with a new N95 respirator.

Here are N95 or KN95 respirators available to purchase online right now:

AOK N95 mask: This $2.99 mask at Well Before is sold out but you can be notified when they’re in stock again.

BLSCode KN95 protective mask ($1.33 each if purchased in a 60-pack, individually wrapped for $79.74 through Amazon): The mask is made of two layers of non-woven cloth, two layers of melt-blown fabric and one layer of hot air cotton with an adjustable metal nose bridge wire. Read more about KN95s

Home Depot has N95 and KN95 as well as reusable cloth masks. Avoid the N95 masks with a valve or vent. A six-pack of 3M disposable, valve-less N95 respirators is $8.46, or $1.41 a mask.

Kimtech (Kimberly Clark) N95 pouch respirator ($3.99 each from Well Before): The NIOSH-certified mask has a large, duckbill-style breathing chamber and foam headband to maximize comfort. There is also a bendable nosepiece for a consistent seal.

N95 Medical Supplies has three-ply surgical masks as well as N95 and KN95 masks. The ALG hard-cup shell N95 mask with NIOSH approval is sold in a 25-pack for $99.99.

Portland-based Protectly has U.S.-made surgical, N95 and KN95 masks by 3M, Fangtian, Moldex, 3PE and Medline with a 100% guaranteed. Take 23% off Respokare’s N95, NIOSH-approved mask at $5 each in a five- or 30-pack.

Powecom KN95 face mask: The FDA emergency-use authorized mask has multi-layer protection. Available in a 10-pack for $12.94 from Amazon.

Respokare Niosh N95 respirator (10-pack for $89.99 from N95MaskCo.com): This mask design by personal protective equipment company Innonix has patented multilayer, anti-viral technology that blocks 95% of small (.3 micron) particles and is said to inactivate up to 99.9% within minutes. Also available in a 5-pack for $49.99 or a 20-pack for $179.99.

Well Before KN95 mask by the company formerly known as Honest PPE Supply: Individually wrapped, the disposable mask has a five-layer design and adjustable nosepiece. Available for $1.99 each but must be purchased in 10 packs. Kid-size masks are also available.

Xiantao Zhongyi N95 respirator mask (20-pack for $179.99 at n95maskco.com): The NIOSH-certified, cup-style mask can be purchased in a box of 1,000 for $6,999.

There are more N95 and KN95 masks available at Amazon and Sears.

Now that we’ve been wearing face coverings for nearly a year, it could be time to replace masks that have been washed frequently (check manufacturers’ guidance) or don’t fit as well as they should.

Before you mask in a bandana or neck gaiter, read this: Evaluation is ongoing on the effectiveness of those types of face coverings in preventing droplets and particles from spreading the coronavirus. At the very least, double up the fabric when in poorly ventilated areas or if you’re unable to safely keep your distance from others.

Face shields, folded handkerchiefs and masks with exhalation valves or vents are also discouraged since they may not be effective enough barriers.

Layers of washable face coverings should also not be see-through.

What to use if you are not at risk? Two or more tightly woven layers of washable, breathable fabric. The mask should completely cover your nose and mouth, and it should fit snugly against the side of your face and have no gaps, says the CDC.

Here are some retailers’ reusable masks offerings:

Amazon has an ever-changing supply of washable and U.S.-made disposable protective masks. The online retailer also has antimicrobial masks and sells PM 2.5 activated carbon filter inserts (100 pack for $21.99).

American Eagle has reusable masks made with two layers and an antimicrobial finish. Youth face masks are on sale and come in a variety of prints and patterns. Twenty percent of mask sales were donated to the Crisis Text Line.

Backcountry has its own line of face masks to have handy when you pass someone on the trail. Also, men’s, women’s and kids clothing plus hiking, camping, biking, climbing, running fly-fishing and paddling gear is up to 50% off during the winter sale.

Dick’s Sporting Goods has “sportmasks” face masks by Under Armour and other fitness brands. Also found at underarmour.com

Fanatics has adult and youth-size face coverings to cheer on every sports team, especially Oregon’s teams.

Disney has Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars character-theme face masks in small, medium and large (see measuring chart) and the company is donating one million cloth face masks for children and families in underserved and vulnerable communities across the U.S. through MedShare.

Spacemask offers three layers of antibacterial nanotech fabric yarn that is said to protect from dangerous particles, droplets, dust, smog, pollen and mold. The washable, contoured Advanced Nanotech Premium face mask is $19. The company pledges to donate 5,000 masks.

School MaskPack has color-coded, Crayola-branded reusable masks ($29.99 for a five-pack for kids, $39.99 for teens and adult sizes) that come with their own mesh laundry bag to keep them together in the washing machine. The masks have adjustable ear straps to securely fit a wide variety of face shapes and sizes. The company is donating 1% of net sales to No Kid Hungry, DonorsChoose and Heart of America.

MasQd has coverings for adults plus a kids collection with themes of green camouflage, rainbow hearts, space, unicorns, cars, puppies and solid colors ($17 each ) plus mask filters (20-pack for $27).

The Gap has masks with filter pockets in adult sizes and kid-friendly ones with themes like Hello Kitty, Jurassic Park, Ninja Turtles, Justice League and Minions (3-pack starts at $5). The company pledges to give away 50,000 masks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Canada.

The Odells has handmade, washable masks in adult and kid sizes made of a cotton blend with adjustable, behind-the-ear straps with an interior pocket sized to fit a PM2.5 filter ($10). Each mask sold supports 10 meals for hungry children and adults.

Walmart has cotton face coverings for adults and kids on sale. A five-pack of reusable face masks in a washable polyester-blend for ages 3-10 is $10.99 (regular price is $21).

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman



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Health

Harvard health expert makes case for everyone to wear N95 masks

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A health expert from Harvard made his case Tuesday that everyone in the U.S. should wear N95 face masks in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Joseph G. Allen, the director of the Healthy Buildings program at the university, penned an op-ed in the Washington Post and said there’s “no reason any essential worker—and really, everyone in the country – should go without masks that filter 95%.”

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His pitch came a day after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top disease expert in the U.S., said in an interview that wearing two cloth masks “likely” offers more protection for the wearer.

“So if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective. That’s the reason why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N95.”

President Biden said Tuesday that masks are “the best defense against COVID-19” in the coming months as his administration acquires a sufficient supply of vaccine to innoculate the majority of Americans.

“The brutal truth is, it’s going to take months before we can the majority of Americans vaccinated – months,” Biden said. “In the next few months, masks, not vaccines, are the best defense against COVID-19. Experts say that wearing masks from now just until April would save 50,000 lives that otherwise would pass away if we don’t wear these masks.”

Fauci’s comment was criticized on social media. Some asked why the country wasn’t told to wear double masks earlier on in the outbreak, and others asked– with that logic– wouldn’t three masks be more effective than two?

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Scientists continue to learn more about the disease can be transmitted. The Wall Street Journal reported that one year into the pandemic, we know that mask-wearing and good airflow inside buildings are more effective in preventing transmission than surface cleaning.

Allen wrote that if two people wore N95s it would result in a “greater than 99% reduction in exposure.”

“Think about that for a minute. We could reduce exposure by 99 percent for what should be $1 a mask. (Prices are higher now because of the failure to produce an adequate supply.) Throw in better ventilation and some distance between people, and you have hospital-grade protections,” he wrote.

Fox News’ Thomas Barrabi contributed to this report

 

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