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Want better omicron protection? What to know when upgrading masks

Want better omicron protection? What to know when upgrading masks
WITH THE OMICRON VARIANT SPREADING LIKEIL WDFIRE, HEALTH EXPERTS SAY IT'S NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO UPGRADE YOUR FACE MASK. WE FOUND YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO GET A QUALITY N95 OR KN95, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU BUY THAT MASK, BECAUSE THERE ARE FAKES OUT THERE. >> IT'S BEEN INSANE. THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN GETTING BETTER MASKS. BEN: ANNE MILLER RUNS PROJECT N-95. A NONPROFIT STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC TO HELP HEALTHCARE WORKERS FIND N-95 MASKS. NOW, THEY SELL TO EVERYONE. >> OUR MISSION IS TO GIVE ACCESS TO AUTHENTIC, AFFORDAB,LE HIGH-QUALITY, RESPIRATORY PROTECTION IN THE PANDEMIC. N:BE THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE, MILLER SAYS SOME COUNTERFEIT MASKS ARE BEING SOLD ONLINE, MANY MANUFACTURED IN CHINA. NIOSH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH, WHICH APPROVES RESPIRATING MAS.SK HAS EXAMPLES OF MASKS MAKING FAKE CLAIMS ON THEIR WEBSITE. PART OF THE WORK PROJECT N-95 DOES IS VERIFY THAT MASKS THEY SELL ARE LEGIT. >> ANY PRODUCT THAT IS OFFERED ON PROJECT N95, WE HAVE VERIFIED THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN, WE KNOW THAT IT IS A LEGITIMATE PRODUCT THAT PERFORMS TO THE STANDARDS OF THE U.S. MARKET. BEN: THE 95 MEANS THE MASK IS SUPPOS TOED BLOCK 95% OF THE PARTICLES IN THE AIR, MILLER SAYS N-95S, THE S.U. STANDARD, GO THROUGH MORE RIGOROUS AND CONTINUOUS TESTING THAN KN-95S WHICH ARE THE CHINESVEE RSION, AND SOME OF WHICH COME WITH MORE COMFORTABLE EAR LOO.PS >> IT'S NOT THAT KN95S ARE ALL BAD NOT BY ANY MEANS BUT IT'S HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE. BEN: JUDNGGI BY THE PRICES AT PROJECT N-95, YOU SHOULDN'T PAY MORE THAN A BUCK A PIECE FOR95 N AND KN95 MASKS. YOU CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR MASK LAST LONGER BY USING A SIMPLE BROWN LUNCH BAG TO DECONTAMINATE THEM. LET'S SAY THIS IS THEAS M YOU'RE WEARING TODAY. WRITE MONDAY ON THE INSIDE. THEN, ALL U HAVE TO DO AT THE END OF THE DAY IS PUT IT IN THIS BAG, CLOSE IT AND LET IT SIT FOR 3 TO 5 DAYS SO ANY VIRUS ON IT DIES. IT'LL THEN BE CLEAN FOR YOU TO WEAR AGAIN NEXT MONDAY. D ANYOU CAN REWEAR IT UP TO 5 TIS.ME >> PEOPLE SAY 5 DAYS OR 40 HOURS I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR USAGE. >> N95 OR KN95 MASKS ARE STILL MORE EFFECVETI BECAUSE TYHE DON'T HAVE THE PROBLEM OF THESE OPENINGS AT THE SIDE, BUT THEY'RE REALLY HARD WEAR FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. BEN: DOCTOR DAELNI KURITZKES AT THE BRIGHAM SAYS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO MUST WEAR A MASK ALL DAY, IS SIMPLY DOUBLING UP ON A REGULAR MASK. >> I THINK THE TYPICAL PERSON IS BETTER WITH A DOUBLE SURGICAL MASK THAN TRYING TO GO AROUND WITH AN N95 MASK ALL DAY LONG. BEN: IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AUTHENTICITY OF N-95 MASKS YOU BOUGHT, THE CDC MAINTAINS AN ONLINE DATABASE OF APPROVED PRODUCTS, WHERE YOU CAN CHECK BY MANUFACTURER AND PRODU CE.CT I'VE PUT A LINK TO THAT AS WELL AS TO PROJECT N-95 ITHN IS STORY ON OUR WEBSITE, WCVB.COM. IF YOUE'V GOT A CONSUMER STORY FOR ME, EMAIL ME AT BEN AT WCVB
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Want better omicron protection? What to know when upgrading masks
With the omicron variant spreading like wildfire, health experts say it's now more important than ever to upgrade your face mask. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a quality N95 or KN95 mask, but you do need to be careful where you buy that mask because there are fakes out there.Anne Miller runs Project N95, a nonprofit started at the beginning of the pandemic to help health care workers find N95 masks. Now, they sell to everyone."There's a lot of interest in getting better masks," she said. "Our mission is to give access to authentic, affordable, high-quality respiratory protection in the pandemic."That's easier said than done. Miller says some counterfeit masks are being sold online, many manufactured in China. NIOSH, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 바카라 게임 웹사이트 a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention responsible for approving respiration masks 바카라 게임 웹사이트 has examples of masks making fake claims on its website. Part of the work Project N95 does is verify that the masks they sell are legitimate."Any product that is offered on Project N95, we have verified the authenticity of the supply chain," Miller said. "We know that it is a legitimate product that performs to the standards of the U.S. market."Can't see the masks shown above? Click here to see some of Project N95's mask choicesThe "95바카라 게임 웹사이트 means the mask is supposed to block 95% of the particles in the air. Miller says N95s, the U.S. standard, go through more rigorous and continuous testing than KN95s, which are the Chinese version. But some of those KN95s come with more comfortable ear loops."It's not that KN95s are all bad, by any means, but it's hard to tell the difference," Miller said. "What you see might not be what you get."Judging by the prices at Project N95, Miller says you don't need to pay more than about $1 apiece for quality N95 or KN95 masks.You can also make your mask last longer by using a simple brown lunch bag to decontaminate it. At the end of the day, drop your mask in a bag, close it up and let it sit. After three to five days, experts say any virus on the mask will die and it will be safe to use again. You can re-wear a mask decontaminated like this up to five times."N95 or KN95 masks are more effective because they don't have the problem of openings at the side, but they're really hard to wear for a long period of time," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's hospital. Kuritzkes says for most people who need to wear a mask all day, a good alternative might simply be to double up on surgical masks. "I think the typical person is better with a double surgical mask than trying to go around with an N95 mask all day long," he said. If you're concerned about the authenticity of the N95 masks you bought, the CDC maintains an online database of approved products, where you can check by manufacturer and product code. Project N95's website features a store of verified N95 and KN95 masks. 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

With the omicron variant spreading like wildfire, health experts say it's now more important than ever to upgrade your face mask. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a quality N95 or KN95 mask, but you do need to be careful where you buy that mask because there are fakes out there.

Anne Miller runs Project N95, a nonprofit started at the beginning of the pandemic to help health care workers find N95 masks. Now, they sell to everyone.

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"There's a lot of interest in getting better masks," she said. "Our mission is to give access to authentic, affordable, high-quality respiratory protection in the pandemic."

That's easier said than done. Miller says some counterfeit masks are being sold online, many manufactured in China. NIOSH, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 바카라 게임 웹사이트 a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention responsible for approving respiration masks 바카라 게임 웹사이트 has examples of masks making fake claims on its .

Part of the work Project N95 does is verify that the masks they sell are legitimate.

"Any product that is offered on Project N95, we have verified the authenticity of the supply chain," Miller said. "We know that it is a legitimate product that performs to the standards of the U.S. market."

Can't see the masks shown above? Click here to see some of Project N95's mask choices

The "95바카라 게임 웹사이트 means the mask is supposed to block 95% of the particles in the air. Miller says N95s, the U.S. standard, go through more rigorous and continuous testing than KN95s, which are the Chinese version. But some of those KN95s come with more comfortable ear loops.

"It's not that KN95s are all bad, by any means, but it's hard to tell the difference," Miller said. "What you see might not be what you get."

Judging by the prices at Project N95, Miller says you don't need to pay more than about $1 apiece for quality N95 or KN95 masks.

You can also make your mask last longer by using a simple brown lunch bag to decontaminate it. At the end of the day, drop your mask in a bag, close it up and let it sit. After three to five days, experts say any virus on the mask will die and it will be safe to use again. You can re-wear a mask decontaminated like this up to five times.

"N95 or KN95 masks are more effective because they don't have the problem of openings at the side, but they're really hard to wear for a long period of time," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's hospital.

Kuritzkes says for most people who need to wear a mask all day, a good alternative might simply be to double up on surgical masks.

"I think the typical person is better with a double surgical mask than trying to go around with an N95 mask all day long," he said.

If you're concerned about the authenticity of the N95 masks you bought, the CDC maintains an , where you can check by manufacturer and product code.

Project N95's N95 and KN95 masks.