Free N95 masks are arriving at pharmacies and community health centers. Here's how to get yours

and in the United States we are being drenched with omicron a variant. So contagious that it has caused daily cases to double in the past two weeks now, just like you would put on a better raincoat in a bad storm. We need better masks more than ever. Our best bet an N- 95 mask, you're going to wear a mask where the best masks possible. Erin Collins a self proclaimed mask nerd is a mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science. There is significant improvement in the amount of aerosol that are going to be exposed to when everyone's wearing it in 95 you're wearing an N 95. That's why there's such a powerful tool. I think it's worth reminding people why exactly they work so well. It has to do with the actual material. There are electrostatic lee charged fibers in here. So it's not just filtering particles, it's actually attracting particles kind of like a blanket. Might attract your socks in the dryer also, it works well not just for air that's potentially coming in, but also for air that's potentially going out. Now, one key thing about the N 95 masks, because you got to make sure they actually fit really well, having these two bands around the back of your head and then making sure no air is escaping around your eyes or your cheeks or your chin. Studies have shown that cloth masks can have about 75% leakage, a surgical mask 50% but with an N 95 it can go down to as low as 1%. Even with the CDCs updated mask guidance there is still no explicit recommendation to wear an N. 95. However on thursday president joe biden announced a step in the right direction. Next week will announce how we are making high quality mask available to american people for free. If you buy your own, the average cost of an N 95 is just under $2. That's according to Project N 95 a nonprofit dedicated to educating people about high filtration masks but how to pick the right one can be bewildering. There are more than 6000 different models of NIOSH approved respirators. NIOSH being the National Institute for occupational Safety and Health, a federal agency that evaluates safety equipment like masks, it's an incredibly difficult market for consumers to um to navigate. And unfortunately in this in this circumstance that information could cost someone their life Kelly Carruthers is the Director of Government Affairs at Project 95. The problem she says is that counterfeits have infiltrated the market, you can find a list of NIOSH approved products on the C. D. C. S. Website. But here's some of the things to look for. Remember those head straps? NIOSH approved N 90 five's are always going to have head straps instead of ear loops and the mask itself will say NIOSH along with the manufacturer name and an identifying number starting with T. C. If you can tolerate an N. 95 do it if you want to get a kn 95 fine wearing any mask is better than no mask at all. But there is a gradation of capability of preventing you from getting infected and from you transmitting it to someone else. So we should be wearing the best possible mask that we can get. The KN 95. Dr Fauci just mentioned there another type of high filtration masks. But finding the right one of these can be even trickier. That's because KN 95 is a chinese standard meaning none of these are currently approved in the United States. Even worse, The CDC says about 60% of these masks are fakes. Yes. Even the ones you buy online, there's no way to tell um if a manufacturer has met those qualifications or not. It is it is very difficult for for someone to discern whether or not it's a it's a safe mask. Now that doesn't mean all can 95 are bad but it does mean you're going to have to do more homework such as checking to see if the manufacturer has a valid lab report. We need to recommend better hyper filtration masks and we need a mass standard, a general public mass standard so that we can cover all of the range of masks that people want to use. We could go back to pretty much normal quote unquote life if we all had really good respirators. Something so simple that could help us slow the pandemic dr Sanjay, Gupta CNN reporting.

The rollout of free N95 masks for the public began this week across the United States, with some pharmacies already handing out the masks and others expecting to do so in the coming days.The program is part of the Biden administration's effort to distribute 400 million free N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile via pharmacies and community health centers. The program is expected to be fully up and running by early February. The masks are arriving at their destinations with accompanying flyers and signage from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which paid for the masks.Here's what you need to know about getting a free N95 mask through this program:Where can I find free N95 masks?The masks will be available at a number of local pharmacies and community health centers, a White House official told CNN.Participating pharmacies include Hy-Vee, Meijer, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger.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 and Nebraska and at Meijer stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.Masks also are expected to start arriving at Southeastern Grocers locations as early as Friday, and they'll be available at Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie in-store pharmacies.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 on Monday.Walgreens expects that free N95 masks will be available at some locations starting 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."Kroger stores with pharmacies also plan to distribute free N95 masks, according to a company statement Monday."Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated continue to be the top defense tools in our nation's fight against COVID-19. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free non-surgical N95 masks and make an appointment today to get vaccinated or boosted," Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger's chief medical officer, said in the statement.Community health centers are expected to distribute masks too, but on a smaller scale.The first 100 centers participating in the rollout of the federal government's free N95 mask program will 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 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 about 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 the agency.Farber added that the Health Resources and Services Administration anticipates that masks will be made available to all health centers by mid-February.Tracking the omicron surge바카라 게임 웹사이트� FDA halts use of antibody drugs unlikely to work against omicron바카라 게임 웹사이트� Will the omicron variant end the COVID-19 pandemic for good?바카라 게임 웹사이트� Omicron surge is undermining care for other health problems바카라 게임 웹사이트� Boosters provide the best protection against omicron variant, CDC studies show바카라 게임 웹사이트� Comfortable N95 and KN95 masks that comply with COVID-19 guidelinesHow many masks can I get?The HHS flyer distributed with the free masks notes that up to three masks are "available to every person in the U.S."Pharmacies plan to monitor how many masks people are taking at a time to make sure they don't take extra.There have been no issues with people trying to take more than the allocated number of N95 masks at Hy-Vee locations, a company spokesperson told CNN on Monday."Each Hy-Vee store has designated employees to personally hand out up to three masks per person; we haven't had an issue with people attempting to take more than the limit of three provided by HHS," Christina Gayman, a spokesperson for Hy-Vee, wrote in an email. "Additional N95 masks are also for sale at our pharmacy locations if people want/need more."If the masks are at no cost to me, who paid for them?The masks come from the United States' Strategic National Stockpile, maintained by HHS, which means the federal government paid for them."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 400 million N95 masks amount to more than half of the 750 million stored in the Strategic National Stockpile, a figure that tripled over the past year as the White House sought to boost reserves.Does this mean I should no longer wear other types of masks?The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes that "any mask is better than no mask."The CDC recommends that Americans wear "the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently," and it notes that different types of masks can offer different levels of protection."Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection," according to the CDC."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 having certain materials 바카라 게임 웹사이트� such as polypropylene fibers 바카라 게임 웹사이트� acting as both mechanical and electrostatic barriers, N95 masks help to better prevent tiny particles from getting into the nose or mouth. They must be fitted to the face to be effective."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 said in a briefing this month. "And that recommendation is not going to change."

The rollout of free N95 masks for the public began this week across the United States, with some pharmacies already handing out the masks and others expecting to do so in the coming days.

The program is part of the Biden administration's effort to distribute 400 million free N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile via pharmacies and community health centers. The program is expected to be fully up and running by early February. The masks are arriving at their destinations with from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which paid for the masks.

Here's what you need to know about getting a free N95 mask through this program:

Where can I find free N95 masks?

The masks will be available at a number of local pharmacies and community health centers, a White House official told CNN.

Participating pharmacies include Hy-Vee, Meijer, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger.

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 and Nebraska and at Meijer stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Masks also are expected to start arriving at Southeastern Grocers locations as early as Friday, and they'll be available at Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie in-store pharmacies.

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 on Monday.

Walgreens expects that free N95 masks will be available at some locations starting 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."

Kroger stores with pharmacies also plan to distribute free N95 masks, according to a company statement Monday.

"Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated continue to be the top defense tools in our nation's fight against COVID-19. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free non-surgical N95 masks and make an appointment today to get vaccinated or boosted," Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger's chief medical officer, said in the statement.

Community health centers are expected to distribute masks too, but on a smaller scale.

The first 100 centers participating in the rollout of the federal government's free N95 mask program will 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 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 about 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 the agency.

Farber added that the Health Resources and Services Administration anticipates that masks will be made available to all health centers by mid-February.

Tracking the omicron surge

바카라 게임 웹사이트� FDA halts use of antibody drugs unlikely to work against omicron

바카라 게임 웹사이트� Will the omicron variant end the COVID-19 pandemic for good?

바카라 게임 웹사이트� Omicron surge is undermining care for other health problems

바카라 게임 웹사이트� Boosters provide the best protection against omicron variant, CDC studies show

바카라 게임 웹사이트� Comfortable N95 and KN95 masks that comply with COVID-19 guidelines

How many masks can I get?

The HHS flyer distributed with the free masks notes that up to three masks are "available to every person in the U.S."

Pharmacies plan to monitor how many masks people are taking at a time to make sure they don't take extra.

There have been no issues with people trying to take more than the allocated number of N95 masks at Hy-Vee locations, a company spokesperson told CNN on Monday.

"Each Hy-Vee store has designated employees to personally hand out up to three masks per person; we haven't had an issue with people attempting to take more than the limit of three provided by HHS," Christina Gayman, a spokesperson for Hy-Vee, wrote in an email. "Additional N95 masks are also for sale at our pharmacy locations if people want/need more."

If the masks are at no cost to me, who paid for them?

The masks come from the United States' , maintained by HHS, which means the federal government paid for them.

"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, Friday.

The 400 million N95 masks amount to more than half of the 750 million stored in the Strategic National Stockpile, a figure that tripled over the past year as the White House sought to boost reserves.

Does this mean I should no longer wear other types of masks?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes that "any mask is better than no mask."

The CDC recommends that Americans wear "the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently," and it notes that different types of masks can offer different levels of protection.

"Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection," according to the CDC.

"Some masks and respirators offer higher levels of protection than others, and some may be harder to tolerate or wear consistently than others," . "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 having certain materials 바카라 게임 웹사이트� such as polypropylene fibers 바카라 게임 웹사이트� acting as both mechanical and electrostatic barriers, N95 masks help to better prevent tiny particles from getting into the nose or mouth. They must be fitted to the face to be effective.

"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 said in a briefing this month. "And that recommendation is not going to change."

Free N95 masks are arriving at pharmacies and community health centers. Here's how to get yours

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Where can I find free N95 masks?

How many masks can I get?

If the masks are at no cost to me, who paid for them?

Does this mean I should no longer wear other types of masks?

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