Where to find an N95 or high filtration mask for the Biden 100 Day Challenge

The Biden administration issued a mask warrant requiring individuals to wear masks on federal property, and he encourages all Americans to wear them in public for 100 days. Face coverings are also required on planes, trains, buses and at airports, repeating questions about the types of masks that offer the best protection against COVID-19[female[feminine, as well as where to find them.

The goal of the “100 Days Masking Challenge” is to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus, which has already claimed the lives of more than 400,000 Americans. Indeed, a study published Jan. 19 in the Lancet Digital Health Journal Studies found that an increase in mask wear across the United States of just 10% would significantly reduce the transmission of the coronavirus.

Wearing a mask is even more effective when the face coverings fit properly and filter aerosol particles effectively, according to medical experts.

“Besides filtration, fit is the most important factor,” said Devabhaktuni Srikrishna, founder of the global health platform Patient Knowhow, which organizes health education content for the general public.

“Even if you wear a high quality mask, if it doesn’t touch your face, it will leak all around. The best masks have a very strong and tight seal so that air does not leak. low adjustment equals low filtration, ”Srikrishna said.

Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital, ranked the generally available mask alternatives from most effective to least effective, noting that generally any type of facial covering is better than none at all.

The N95s provide the most filtration, according to Ranney, followed by the so-called KN95 masks. Regular surgical masks are the second best option, followed by double-layer fabric masks with a filter worn between the two layers. Double-layered and single-layered fabric masks without filters tend to be the least effective, she said.

“Every time you step forward, you’ll get a little more protection. In cloth or homemade masks, the things that make them better include two layers of cloth with a filter in between, like a vacuum bag filter. , and having the fabric be tightly woven, ”Ranney said.

Dr. Tom Peace, who was director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2017, echoed Ranney’s advice in a Tweeter Sunday.

“N95 masks are the most protective masks, followed by three-ply surgical masks, then cloth masks. A cloth mask is much better than no mask, but we may need to step up our mask set. it is contagious. Variants of Covid are starting to spread widely, ”he said.

The N95 – the king of all masks

An N95 certification rating from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health means that a mask has been rigorously tested and verified by the federal government and filters at least 95% of airborne particles.

NIOSH maintains a list of approved respirators by brand. As N95 approved masks remain rare, experts still recommend that they be used only by healthcare providers.

“I generally ask the public not to buy N95 because the genuine ones are still scarce for healthcare workers,” Ranney said.

A good fit, which is also essential, is difficult for the layman to achieve.

“In the health field, before we are allowed to go and care for patients wearing an N95 mask or equivalent, we have to go through fit tests where they make us move our heads and see if a bitter spray passes through. through the mask. On average, members of the public cannot do a fit test, which is why we were hesitant to recommend that the public wear N95s, ”Ranney added.

Brian Wolin, whose work as a chiropractor has slowed since the start of the pandemic, sells NIOSH-approved N95 masks through his company, Protective Health Gear, based in Paterson, New Jersey. Initially, its goal was to help meet the needs of hospitals for masks. He is now urging the general public to wear respirators as well.

“We think it’s very important to sell to the general public now. I think if everyone on the planet wore one of these things for 30 days, we would take care of it,” Wolin said.

He recognized the importance of fit testing in healthcare settings, but insists that ordinary people can easily mold Protective Health Gear masks to form a tight seal on their face. A box of 50 respirators costs $ 199 at protecthealthgear.com.

While NIOSH approved N95 masks are among the most rigorously tested for a variety of factors, including filtration, breathability and durability, there are other effective alternatives suitable for general use when N95s are not available. .

Elastomeric masks

Srikrishna recommends reusable elastomeric masks, which are more durable and cost effective than disposable N95s.

Elastomeric masks offer a high level of respiratory protection and can be combined with disposable filters. The masks themselves are made of a flexible material similar to rubber and can be adjusted to perfectly fit the user’s face.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that among healthcare workers who traded N95 disposable masks for the elastomeric variety – paired with a P100 filter – none returned to wearing a mask. N95.

“Our clinicians were very comfortable with the fit knowing that it was equivalent if not superior protection, and that these masks were meant to be reused,” said Dr. Sricharan Chalikonda, lead author of the study, in a press release.

The elastomeric mask shell is sold separately from the filter. Srikrishna recommends pairing the masks with a P95 filter, as opposed to a P100 filter, for better breathability. Another advantage of elastomeric masks is that they are relatively easy to find. A 3M version is available for $ 15 on Amazon, as are the P95 particulate filters – sold separately.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also approves the use of elastomeric masks, calling them “equivalent protection” to N95 masks.

KN95 from China

KN95 masks look like N95 masks but meet completely different standards. While N95 masks are NIOSH certified, KN95 masks meet Chinese government certification standards.

Since the quality of KN95 masks is extremely inconsistent, US experts are wary of them, especially those sold on platforms like eBay and Amazon. A September report from ECRI, a nonprofit healthcare safety organization, found that up to 70% of KN95 masks did not meet U.S. efficiency standards. In other words, they didn’t filter out 95% of the aerosol particles, as the name suggests.

Of course, average consumers are unlikely to have the time and tools to inspect the masks themselves.

“In healthcare, we generally avoid KN95 at this point,” said Ranney, an emergency physician. Ranney is the co-founder of GetUsPPE.org, a site that provides donated PPE to frontline workers and underfunded communities.

Ranney said his organization received donated batches of KN95, a number of which failed the group’s inspection process. “Cloth masks that fit very well and have a filter between layers will be more reliable,” she says.

The Food and Drug Administration does, however, provide a list of KN95 masks that it authorizes for emergency use by healthcare professionals.

Among them are KN95 masks from Chengde Technology, which cost $ 15 for a pack of 10. They are available here.

Powecom KN95 masks are also FDA approved for emergency use. Office Depot sells a 10 pack for $ 10.

KF94 from South Korea

KF94 masks, which meet the standards set by the South Korean government, are generally considered to be of more consistent quality than China’s KN95s, but are still not fully approved for use in healthcare facilities in the United States. United.

Korean cosmetics company Be Healthy sells KF94 masks imported from South Korea from various manufacturers. All products sold by the company online must meet South Korean standards and some are also approved for use in Europe.

A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, comparing the effectiveness of N95 and KF94 surgical masks, found that the two types of masks were equally effective.

Unmasking counterfeits

Of course, given the shortage of N95 masks, counterfeits abound. Tell-tale signs of fake N95 respirators, according to the CDC, include masks without the markings or license number on the mask and without NIOSH markings. Other red flags include decorative additions such as glitter and children’s claims of approval. Packaging claims that a product is “legitimate” or “genuine” can also indicate that it is not, according to the CDC.