The best mask . . .

[ex-khobar Andy]

I've started buying these 3M N95 masks. They are around $2 apiece from Home Depot if you buy the 10-pack. I've used the blue ones more or less since the beginning of the pandemic and of course they are a lot cheaper. These fit really well and direct your breathing out air away from your glasses so they do not fog up, which is a great point for me. (I've worn glasses since I was about 5. I was learning my numbers, and my Dad said: "What's the number on that bus?" I said: "What bus?" Next day I was at the opticians.).



Go to HD and search for 3M Aura N95. Amazon has them too.

[BoSoxGal]

This is a great source for verified N95 masks - guaranteed not to be counterfeit and many are less than $2/each.

https://www.projectn95.org/

Also you can check the masks you buy at: www.knowits.niosh.org

[ex-khobar Andy]

NIOSH is an arm of CDC. NIOSH is at cdc.gov/NIOSH. NIOSH.org is a website which attempts to pass itself off as the genuine article but it is not.

Google NIOSH.org and it tells you this:

niosh.org has been connecting our visitors with providers of Atriums, Building Decks, Buildings and many other related services for nearly 10 years.

I don't know that the site is malevolent but I certainly would not trust it to advise me on masks.

[BoSoxGal]

I took that website address directly from a CDC graphic on N95 masks - myths and facts. I guess I can see now why so many Americans aren’t trusting them.

Here’s a direct link to the list of manufacturers they endorse: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/ ... list1.html

[BoSoxGal]

The graphic I mentioned, and you can see it’s from CDC.gov

[ex-khobar Andy]

I'm a little puzzled because the domain name in the php file you posted is Knowits.niosh.gov (not dot org) and as I cannot find it, I don't know what it clicks to. Nevertheless when I type that into my browser it takes me to a cdc.gov page https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/ ... ource.html

There is print on the php file which is too small for me to read so maybe it's there.

[BoSoxGal]

My mistake! The other website ends in org and I just made the error copying over. Anyway now the links to CDC approved providers/manufacturers are available here.

It’s important to note that even many hospitals have been taken in by counterfeit N95s that provide a fraction (~30%) of the protection of an actual N95 mask (95%). Lots of pandemic profiteers out there! Better safe than sorry relying on a counterfeit mask.

[Bicycle Bill]

I understand there is also a KN95 mask...

2. What are N95 masks?

Medical masks, which are regulated devices, come in two types. Surgical masks are the loose-fitting, one-size-fits-all kind that are rectangular when flat. A more sophisticated medical mask is called a respirator. In the U.S., the most commonly available versions are called N95s and KN95s; in Europe, these are called FFP2s. Respirators are meant to form a tight seal against the face. That forces the user to pull air through the device’s filter rather than through gaps on the sides. They are designed to keep out not only respiratory droplets, but also smaller aerosol particles that can carry infectious agents and float for a time through the air. Apart from medical professionals, respirators are also often worn by tradespeople such as painters to protect them from airborne toxins.

3. What’s the difference between an N95 and a KN95?

The biggest difference between N95 and KN95 masks, which both filter out at least 95% of particles in the air, is where they are certified. KN95s are manufactured in China and thus are subject to different certification requirements than U.S.-made N95s. In China, KN95 manufacturers must run a “fit test” on real humans to ensure the masks allow little to no leakage. Makers of N95s aren’t required to run that test but must still meet standards set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The CDC estimates that about 60% of KN95s in the U.S. are fakes, that is, counterfeits made to look as if they came from legitimate manufacturers in China, and don’t meet NIOSH requirements.
....from Bloomberg.com

That last line, which I've emboldened and highlighted, is just a reminder that when buying a mask, as with most everything else, caveat emptor.

-"BB"-

[ex-khobar Andy]

My 3M mask is TC-84A-8590 which does check out OK on the CDC site. The problem with that of course is that I were going to manufacture fake masks I'd probably have the nous to put a fake number on them. But that's just me . . .