As a result of worries about the COVID-19 virus outbreak, there’s been a run on N95 and other respirator masks worldwide. Normally a good 3M N95 mask would sell for under $10. But with pretty much none available at stores, and price gouging taking place online, buying a good mask is challenging. And even with an N95, which is tested to block 95% of small particles, absolute protection from the coronavirus may not be possible. But the mask is considered effective.
Examples of online buying roadblocks:
Even the federal government is running low on face masks. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar wants 300 million, most for healthcare workers, but they only have 30 million on-hand.
However, you might already have a good quality mask in your home, perhaps in a pantry or garage workshop. And in some areas prone to wildfires people may have stashed a mask for smoky times.
It’s a good idea to learn how a respirator works. This can be a little trickier for some men, due to the popularity of facial hair. Beards can impact the performance, the seal, that helps the respirator keep bad stuff out of your bronchioles and lungs. A few years back, the CDC provided a beard guide for respirator use because of the popularity of “No-Shave November” and “Movember”– and that chart is now getting a lot of attention due to COVID-19. The key appears to be keeping facial hair from interfering with the respirator mask seal.
