Where to buy face masks online after CDC updates COVID Omicron variant guidelines

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's current recommendation is that fully vaccinated Americans in parts of the country with "substantial or high transmission" of COVID-19 should wear face masks indoors. And right now, with the number of COVID cases hitting new record highs nationwide amid the Omicron variant, more than 99.5% of all U.S. counties fall into the red "high transmission" tier. (You can check the community transmission status of your own county at the CDC COVID Data Tracker website.)

In some places, such as New York and California, wearing masks indoors is again mandatory. The CDC says, in its most recent update on the omicron variant, that vaccination is the best step the public can take to protect against severe illness and slow the emergence of new variants. But, the agency notes, "masks offer protection against all variants."

Where can you get these important, protective face masks? The Biden administration recently announced it would make 400 million free N95 face masks available to the American public. There are some important catches to this deal, though: You'll need to pick the free masks up at your local pharmacy or community health center (availability starts late next week), and quantities will likely be limited per person. If you need a steady supply of masks, buying your own N95s online or in stores is still your best bet.

The CDC further recommends face masks that have multiple layers of material. For extra protection, a disposable mask underneath a cloth mask is recommended (double masking). Wash your cloth masks between uses, and be sure to only wear disposable masks once. The CDC recommends against single-layer masks, and masks that do not form a proper leak-free fit over your mouth and nose. For optimal protection, you'll want to look for an N95 mask, designed to filter at least 95% of all airborne particles. KN95 masks offer a similar level of protection, but be careful when buying -- the CDC warns that roughly 60% of KN95 masks being offered for sale are counterfeit.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/where-to-buy-face-masks-online-after-cdc-updates-covid-omicron-variant-guidelines/ar-AAN7QNu

[Salviati]

1. One should also look at KF94 masks...

If you're looking for quality masks, the Korean KF94 versions are probably a better alternative to the KN95 masks. From what I understand the Korean certification process is a lot more reliable than the Chinese process, and you're less likely to run across counterfeit products.

In stories that I've seen testing KF94s, they've almost always tested well above their required rating, and in several youtube folks that run channels testing various masks, I've heard several comment that they've never had a KF94 come up with bad test results.