#N95 masks made in the USA only

[dreamsatdusk]

Black Face Masks and Respirators

@bisexualbaker

I am so sorry for the delay in getting this info to you. There's some Stuff going on over here and it also took me a while to comb through all the mask info I'd squirreled away to find the black ones.

This got so long I decided I'd best post it on its own rather than hijack the original post. In case others see this: this is a post about mask/respirator options in black. I have grouped them in rough categories, but if someone needs a mask to be explicitly certified against a specific standard, please research the specs and confirm for the model you are interested in. Also be mindful of where things are being sourced, as there have been issues with counterfeit respirators. Some resources on that front:

Counterfeit Respirators/Misrepresentation of NIOSH Approval: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/usernotices/counterfeitResp.html (Pertains to N95s)

More Tips To Spot Counterfeit Respirators: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/usernotices/AdditionalTips.html (More general advice for various types of respirators/masks)

The 3M Auras mentioned on the other post are an N95 and unfortunately they do not come in black at this time. (There has been a campaign to get them to make them in black and last I saw, there has been some attention from 3M.) They are widely considered a great mask though and many people find it well-fitting and comfortable. I've tried them and my face shape isn't quite suited to it I think because the staples dug into my cheekbones and I haven't seen most people mention that at all. But they have the best nose piece I've seen on any disposable respirator: very good at conforming to my face, padded, long enough to seal better than others.

Also there are several different models of Aura. The model I found at the local Home Depot was the one with blue rubber straps and I could not deal with wearing those. However the 9210+ has white braided elastic straps and those were great.

Getting into options in black:

"Surgical-Style":

This term is overloaded in many places these days, with everyday usage now often meaning a mask style by this term rather than indicating something like their ASTM level (or even if the have one). In this case I mean earloop face masks, typically but not always with pleated fronts, that are not respirators (e.g. not N95s, etc.). They may not be tight-fitting, as many models are focused on fluid resistance. The ones below are 3 or 4 ply and have various ASTM levels.

Armbrust has 3 ply masks in a variety of colours, including black: https://www.armbrustusa.com/products/usa-made-disposable-face-masks

Bandless style: https://www.armbrustusa.com/products/black-3ply-usa-made-disposable-masks?_pos=5&_sid=c44400ae4&_ss=r

Demetech - https://shop.demetech.us/products/copy-of-black-astm-level-3-disposable-face-mask-with-earloops-size-regular?variant=41286569328816

Altor: https://www.altorsafety.com/facemasks/black-facemask

Cranberry (that's the brand, the colour is black): https://aiden.health/products/cranberry-carbon-black-face-masks-astm-level-3-protection-fda-510k

High filtration face mask - Protective Health Gear: https://protectivehealthgear.com/collections/shop/products/high-filtration-face-mask?variant=42211501637865 These look more like some of the KN95s, but the maker does not claim them to be a type of respirator. They often have sales around holidays, between 35 - 50% off. There's currently a 35% off sale going. They have N95s too but those are only white.

KF94/KN95/FFP2:

This is the type that has more black versions than any other, so the below is only a short list of options.

Different ones are certified to different standards, so read up on individual details as needed.

KF94 - HappyLife: https://kollecteusa.com/products/happylifegooddaykf94-adult-black-mask?variant=35994428637333

KN95 - Armbrust: out of stock on black at the moment though. https://www.armbrustusa.com/products/us-made-kn95-mask?variant=40057768280197

KN95 - BNX:

Large: https://accumed.com/bnx-50-pack-kn95-face-mask-disposable-particulate-kn95-mask-made-in-usa-protection-against-dust-pollen-and-haze-50-pack-earloop-model-e95-black-4.html

Medium: https://accumed.com/bnx-20-pack-kn95-e95m-protective-face-mask-disposable-particulate-mask-made-in-usa-protection-against-dust-pollen-and-haze-black-20-pack-earloop-model-e95m.html

Demetech: https://shop.demetech.us/products/copy-of-d95-blue-particulate-respirator-fold-style-with-black-earloops-box-of-20 I dithered about where to group this - from what they said, I think they took their N95 design and made an earloop version. So it is NOT an N95 (and not NIOSH approved), but is a respirator style.

MaskLab: https://masklab.us They have some black options, along with a whole lot of patterns. Check the details on the various ones for what they are - the ones I looked at are FFP2, which is a European standard.

Powecom: https://bonafidemasks.com/Black-Powecom-KN95-Face-Mask

BreatheTeq KN95: Black in several sizes https://breatheteq.com/collections/all

Various models KF94: https://behealthyusa.net/collections/black

WellBefore KN95: https://wellbefore.com/products/kn95-disposable-fda-ce?variant=32907790909569

N95s:

True N95s always have head straps, not ear loops. They have received NIOSH approval - see link up top for info on how to validate authenticity. There aren't a ton out there in black, likely given their primary pre-pandemic use cases. But there are some.

BNX: They have two styles in black https://accumed.com/bnx-n95-mask-niosh-certified-made-in-usa-particulate-respirator-protective-face-mask-10-pack-approval-number-tc-84a-9315-model-h95w-black-3.html Trifold: https://accumed.com/bnx-n95-mask-black-niosh-certified-made-in-usa-particulate-respirator-protective-face-mask-tri-fold-cup-fish-style-10-pack-approval-number-tc-84a-9362-model-f95b-headband-black.html

Benehal: I've seen positive reports on their black N95, but at the moment I haven't found anything but the white ones for sale on legit sites that ship to/in the US.

Demetech: https://shop.demetech.us/products/black-n95-respirator-mask-fold-style-niosh-approved-box-of-20-size-regular

WellBefore: https://wellbefore.com/products/n95-medical-mask-fda?variant=32909323436161

VitaCore: Okay a note here: these are a Canadian manufacturer model certified to a standard in use in Canada. Their white version is also a NIOSH certified N95. The black is newer and is certified in Canada but the NIOSH process isn't done yet so VitaCore isn't selling them on their US site yet. However they did approve a reseller to sell the black ones in the US here. I've heard great things about these and am getting some to try myself. https://www.protectly.co/products/vitacore-can99-black-respirator-mask

Elastomeric Respirators:

These are reusable respirators, where you replace the filter material, but the overall respirator is reusable (made of rubber, etc). On the one hand they are widely held to be the most comfortable options for long term use and once the initial investment is made, it's less expensive to buy replacement filters than disposable respirators. Even the filters themselves can be used for a long time before replacement compared to a disposable. That said, these respirators are more 'noticeable' in style and like with any mask, not all models are going to be comfy on all face shapes.

I can't think of any ones with black filter materials but some of the respirators themselves come in black or can be painted. And some have housing over the filters such that you don't see much of the filter material itself except through little holes. If anyone is interested in more info on some of the more common models though, let me know.

I'll mention one that has a black faceplate option and is less obtrusive looking in style, that I also have personally tried: FloMask: https://www.flomask.com Adult and child modes available. I advise the halo strap for the top strap for staying put and comfort, especially if you have longer hair. There are two different levels of filter material available, interchangeable in the same respirator. They also have two different mask styles to suit different nose bridges.

Strapless:

I'm only familiar with ReadiMask, and I think those are just in yellow or grey. But mentioning them anyway to cover the use case of needing a respirator without metal parts. They are an actual N95, but use adhesive rather than straps. Very comfortable and can be worn in MRI machines. They'd also work well for things like massages IMO because laying on your face is comfortable in these.

https://readimask.com

https://alliantbiotech.com/product/readimask-strapless-n95-niosh-approved

They have different sizes. But in my experience, unless your face is VERY small, you probably need at least the Large size. There are instructions on how to measure your face for size.

---

Some other notes:

Armbrust has a mask sampler for $40 https://www.armbrustusa.com/products/armbrust-mask-sampler-kit?_pos=3&_sid=debca69cb&_ss=r Some of the samples are masks that do not come in black but some are ones that you can buy in black, 3 or 4 of them (though I think all the samples themselves are white or blue).

[redspringthorn]

These are some of the most well fitting masks I've found for someone with a small head and face like me, and they are relatively affordable compared to some other masks for 50 for $30. A box of these lasts me more than a month. I wouldn't necessarily recommend if you have a larger head as my roommate finds these physically painful to wear but they're one of the only masks that actually fit my face well.

The problem with "you can choose to wear a mask or not," is that masks mostly protect other people. So if you choose not to mask, you're actually removing someone's ability to try to protect themselves.

We know that if you wear a mask it does protect you, but only marginally. In the end, it's everyone wearing masks that prevents the spread of covid from one person to another. This is because if you have covid the mask catches the viral particles you are exhaling before they can get into the air, where covid is airborne and hangs in the air like smoke for several hours.

People who are masking are mostly protecting you. If you're in the presence of someone wearing a mask, it's literally common courteousy to do the same.

[co-defend]

The medical environment is continually changing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With such a lot occurring, there is a ton of disarray, especially encompassing deficiencies of Wholesale Face Mask suppliers and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

[resonanteye]

via http://resonanteye.net/originals-will-be-for-sale-nov-15/

Originals will be for sale, Nov 15

Two are spoken for.

All the local galleries are full of artists that they were showing last year, my kickstarter to get full scale prints made did not get funded (really bad timing). I’ll eventually be releasing a small art book containing all of these, I hope. I had wanted to show them as a group but I do not think I’ll be able to do that. so,

here are the originals I’ll be selling. There will be a second post with purchase links on the day, and you’ll be able to message me to purchase as well. Full sized prints will eventually be available but I don’t have a date for that.

Paintings from Quarantine, a series, 2020

all are watercolor paintings. charging by size and scope…

  12×16″ are 150$

18×24″ are 500$

22×30″ are 900$

36×50″ are 1500$

shipping to US/CAN included: all will be rolled for shipping, unframed. I’ll ship any country, but will have to calculate for anywhere but US/CAN. rush shipping on request at cost.

no. 1 – Milan (quarantine paintings, 2020) watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″ dedicated for Dr. Marcelo Natali 1963-3/25/20 “We certainly weren’t prepared to face such a situation. Especially those of our generation, that of the post-antibiotic era, who grew up thinking that a pill against the disease was enough.”

no. 2 – Northwestern United States (quarantine paintings, 2020) watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″ dedicated for Dr. Stephen M. Schwartz (January 1, 1942 – March 17, 2020) “There is no way to summarize a person as complex as Steve, but I’ll say this: I have never met a person with a finer mind, a greater passion for ideas, or who had a greater love for science,” Dr. Chuck Murry “This beer virus I call it — they call it a coronavirus, I call it a beer virus — how do you like that?” Rep. Don Young

no. 3 – Iran (quarantine paintings, 2020) watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″ dedicated for Dr. Shirin Rouhani (unknown- 3/19/20) “She treated patients at Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran while receiving IV therapy, because there were not enough doctors. Hospitals are faced with a lack of protective gear including medical gowns, N95 masks, gloves, and disinfectants.” -Javad Tavakoli ” Tell medècin sans frontiers that we do not need hospitals established by foreigners”. -Health Minister, Alireza Vahhabzadeh.

no. 17 (final) – New Orleans, LA, USA⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣ dedicated for Ronald Lewis⁣ 7/17/1951-3/20/2020⁣ ⁣ “Right here in the Ninth Ward was where our people chased the American dream.”⁣ ~ Ronald Lewis⁣ ⁣ “The federal government rose to the challenge and this is a great success story and I think that that’s really what needs to be told.”⁣ ~Jared Kutchner

no. 4 – Rikers Island, New York (quarantine paintings, 2020) watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″ dedicated to Michael Tyson, 53 “Incredible anxiety and fear. You cannot implement effective social distancing in a room that sleeps forty men. You cannot implement effective social distancing when those forty men are using two or three sinks and one of them may be broken. You cannot implement effective social distancing when the staff interacts with all of them and has to touch all of them in the course of a day. They know that better than I know that. So when I was talking to them, I was sort of feebly saying, “We want to try to encourage people to be even more diligent about hand-washing, etc., etc.” They were, like, “O.K., we don’t have our own cleaning supplies.” They can’t wipe down their own surfaces. They have to wait for someone to come in and do that for them.” “The largest category of people in city jails are those awaiting trial — people who have not been charged but not convicted. In the ordinary course of events, getting someone in this position out of jail requires an application made in court before a judge.” -Dr. Bedard New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that the state had found a way to counteract price gouging on hand sanitizer amid the COVID-19 outbreak: by deploying cheap prison labor. Incarcerated people will be producing the disinfectant… “This is a superior product to products now on the market,” Cuomo said in a briefing, adding that the state’s sanitizer has a “very nice floral bouquet” that includes hints of lilac, tulip, and hydrangea.

  no. 5 – Los Angeles, Mercy⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣ ⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣ ⁣ dedicated for Francisco Garcia⁣ ⁣ “There’s a very limited supply, it’s a scary situation. Just going to work, driving to work, you’re worried you’re going to get something. It’s changing by the hour and by the day.” S. Beltran, ER nurse . ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ “This week the State Department has facilitated the transportation of nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to the Chinese people, including masks, gowns, gauze, respirators, and other vital materials.” -Mike Pompeo, Feb 7 2020

⁣no. 6 – Wuhan (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣ ⁣ dedicated for Dr. Li Wenliang (1986-2/7/2020) “I think there should be more than one voice in a healthy society, and I don’t approve of using public power for excessive interference.” -Dr. Li Wenliang “Now, the Democrats are politicising the coronavirus… this is their new hoax.” -Donald Trump “Trump has botched the response to coronavirus pandemic…classifying deliberations makes it harder for health experts in government without security clearances to be in key meetings. This is unprecedented, unnecessary, and damages our ability to respond to the pandemic.” -Gregg Gonsalves, a Yale epidemiologist “You, Dr. Li Wenliang, have been making false comments on the Internet, and will sign a letter of admonishment.” -Police from the Wuhan Public Security Bureau, Jan 3 2020

no. 7 – Madrid (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣ ⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣ ⁣ dedicated for Dr. Isabel Munoz ( 1961 -3/24/2020) “Her only obsession was not to infect anybody.” -Jesus Munoz “Even if we all get sick, I’d rather die than kill the country.” -Glenn Beck

⁣no. 8 – Johannesburg⁣ ⁣⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ dedicated for Simon⁣ (unknown)⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣ “They put us here and now we are close to one another. This is why we will be vulnerable to catching Corona. Our government has failed us,” Simon, homeless man moved by police to stadium from the street.⁣ ⁣ “The lockdown has caused problems, but it is a necessary thing that South Africa had to do,” -Maider Mavi, Mozambique Health Ministry. “Anyone showing symptoms who goes to a state hospital will have their COVID-19 test for free.” ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ “The goal here is to keep Covid out of this community,” says Sasha Lalla, a leader at COSUP, a city-supported substance abuse program.⁣ ⁣ “I think then we will be seeing a situation where people with compromised immune systems are not just at risk of Covid-19, they are at risk of death. We have a responsibility to keep our most vulnerable safe,” he said. “One case here, it would be like wildfire.”

no. 9 – New York City⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ dedicated for Father Antonio Checo⁣ May 6, 1952-April 1, 2020 ⁣ “Words cannot describe the sadness and hurt as well as the frustrations that this pandemic has brought about to our daily lives here and across the city…Effective today, all Episcopal churches have been ordered closed until May 17, 2020…we as your clergy are still accessible via phone as your pastors in these times. And since we cannot gather as a community until May, we want to begin to periodically send you the weekly bible readings as that you can use for private prayer worship.⁣ …take an hour each day to pray these prayers remembering those who have died because of this pandemic, as well as those who are sick and those “essential” workers on the frontlines who ensure we as citizens have access to life sustaining resources for day to day living. We ask for the blessing of peace and hope to you all, and that all are safe in this time of uncertainty and anxiety.”⁣ Rev. Antonio Checo and Rev. Jason Moskal, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church⁣ ⁣ ⁣ “We brought in 13 machines that basically kill every virus in the place, and uh, if somebody walks through the door it’s like, it kills everything on them. If they sneeze, it shoots it down at like 100 mph. It’ll neutralize it in split seconds. We have the most sterile building in, I don’t know, all of America.”⁣ -Rodney Howard-Browne, River Tampa Bay Megachurch

no. 10 – Tokyo ⁣⁣⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ dedicated for Ken Shimura (20 February 1950 – 29 March 2020) “I never feared getting an infection myself,” he said, because he knows “how infection control should be done.” But aboard the Diamond Princess, “I was so scared of getting COVID-19.” “The cruise ship was completely inadequate in terms of the infection control.” -Kentaro Iwata, who has dealt with infectious outbreaks, including Ebola, cholera and SARS, for more than 20 years. “I’m choosing not to do it.” -donald trump, on masks

no. 12 – Washington, DC⁣⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣ ⁣ ⁣ dedicated for ⁣⁣ Rabbi Romi Cohn⁣⁣ Holocaust survivor⁣⁣ March 10, 1929-March 24, 2020⁣ ⁣ “The crisis caused by the coronavirus may be the time to consider a universal basic wage.”⁣⁣ -Pope Francis ⁣ ⁣ “God will shield us from all harm and sickness. We are not afraid. We are called by God to stand against the Antichrist creeping into America’s borders.”⁣⁣ -Tony Spell3

no. 15 – Paris⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ dedicated for⁣⁣⁣ Dr. John F. Murray⁣ pulmonologist⁣ June 8, 1927 – March 24, 2020⁣ ⁣ “In all his dealings in the ICU, John treated every person with respect and held them to high standards, whether it was the intern just starting in the ICU or the fellow who was a much more senior trainee, or the nurses or the therapists. Everybody had something to offer and was treated as a member of this team.”⁣ -Courtney Broaddus⁣ ⁣ “You have to do what’s best for your business.”⁣ -Wayne Hoffman

“Audience Participation, London” 22×30″, watercolor

Houston has its Time 22×30″, watercolor

Calling in the Forces, Sunflowers 22×30″ watercolor

Skating in New York City watercolor, 22×30″

The Observers (Germany) watercolor on arches, 12×16″

  no. 13 – Atlanta⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ dedicated for⁣ Rushia Johnson Stephens⁣ music teacher⁣ 1954-2020⁣ ⁣ “Given our population density, high rate of asthma, and various underlying health conditions found within our city’s populations, I am issuing a Stay at Home Order for Atlantans.”⁣ -Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms⁣ ⁣ ⁣ “adding a public option to Obamacare is the best way to lower costs and cover everyone. 160 million people like their private insurance.”⁣ -Joe Biden

SOLD:

no. 11 – The Bronx⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣ ⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣ ⁣ dedicated for⁣ Rakkhon Kim, a member of Branch 36 in New York City⁣ 1970-March 25,2020⁣ ⁣ “It is not an exaggeration to say that our men and women in the Postal Service, who were already performing one of the most important jobs in America, are now literally putting their own lives on the line to deliver the food, medicine, and essential supplies that hundreds of millions of Americans depend on every single day during this pandemic.”⁣ -Senator Bernard Sanders⁣ ⁣ “It’s been losing billions of dollars a year for many, many years… this is the new one, I’m now the demise of the Postal Service. I’ll tell you who’s the demise of the Postal Service, are these internet companies that give their stuff to the Postal Service…They drop everything in the post office and they say, ‘You deliver it.’ “⁣ -president Donald Trump

no. 14 – Lansing⁣ (quarantine paintings, 2020)⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ watercolor, oil, gesso on arches paper, 18×24″⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ dedicated for⁣⁣ Lisa Ewald⁣ nurse⁣ 1966-2020⁣⁣ ⁣ “COVID-19 has impacted the lives of so many citizens throughout the state of Michigan, and even more pronounced in the city of Detroit, as we are the fastest growing city nationally with casualties related to this deadly disease.”⁣ -Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo⁣ ⁣ “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”⁣ -Donald Trump⁣ ⁣⁣

[251wpnwrx]

Reusable N95 Face Masks - Same Day Shipping... For Free! * Available to the Public !!! * Purchase the only USA made, US Material, N95 Facemask available 🇺🇸🇺🇸 * Manufactured in beautiful Free America Arizona🌵🌵 * https://talkingguns.net/shop * I'm not paid or endorsed in any way shape or form by Talking Guns or any of it's affiliates. I simply purchased some of these masks from them, like them a lot and what they are about and want to share with all y'all. So if you're still looking for or needing masks or want to support small American business making ALL AMERICAN product then here's your chance. I'll be doing a little review of their masks soon for those who may be interested in more details but in the mean time, buy with confidence and give them a follow if nothing else. Thanks #251WpnWrx #TalkingGuns #N95 #MadeInUSA #SupportSmallBusiness #AmericanMade #PPE #Reusable #Masks #EDC (at Gulf Shores, Alabama) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAF9MW1AEbx/?igshid=c8tke3n0qleu

[ericince1]

Universal mask-wearing is the most overlooked COVID-19 lifesaver

😷

Western countries are experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 infections compared to Asian countries because of the West's aversion to wearing masks.

We need universal mask-wearing to aid in lowering COVID-19's virality.

Italy

10,779 deaths

178 Deaths/1M pop. 7

Low mask-wearing culture

Taiwan

3 deaths

0.1 Deaths/1M pop. 7

High mask-wearing culture

Spain

6,803 deaths

146 Deaths/1M pop. 7

Low mask-wearing culture

Japan

54 deaths

0.4 Deaths/1M pop. 7

Highest mask-wearing culture

USA

2,475 deaths

7 Deaths/1M pop. 7

Low mask-wearing culture

South Korea

152 deaths

3 Deaths/1M pop. 7

High mask-wearing culture

The official stance is anti-mask and completely wrong

The U.S. Surgeon General and W.H.O. have said masks are not effective at preventing COVID-19 spread. This hopefully is a white lie to get masks to medical professionals. Anything that prevents aerosolized viruses from being transmitted lowers the virality of COVID-19 1.

We need the U.S. Surgeon General and The World Health Organization to reverse course on their targeted mask policy and promote universal mask-wearing.

Japan has the strongest mask-wearing culture in the world and one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates

Despite Japan's large elderly population and early infection, the infection and death rate is one of the lowest in the world. A leading reason for this is Japan's strong mask-wearing culture lowering the virality of COVID-19 to manageable levels. Japan has only had 1,387 infections, yet being one of the earliest countries to become infected 2. Tokyo Metropolitan Police paper towel mask

The Czech Republic's mandatory mask laws

Starting on March 18, the Czech Republic made it mandatory to wear a mask while in public. So far there have only been 2,279 COVID-19 confirmed cases, making it one of the lowest infected countries in Europe. 6 We should keep a close on the Czech Republic's future infection rate relative to its neighbors to show the quantifiable impact of mask-wearing. OVERVIEW: Czech campaign #masks4all.

Let's promote mask-wearing culture to lower COVID-19 infections.

Anything that prevents aerosolized viruses from being transmitted person-to-person will lower COVID-19's infection rate 5.

Wear a mask when outside of your home to avoid lingering aerosolized virus droplets3.

N95 masks are better than surgical masks, but anything that prevents breathing in moisture partials with viruses helps. 4

We need hard data that show a direct effect of a strong mask-wearing culture to lower COVID-19 virality. We only have anecdotal research at this point.

Going in public without a mask in a pandemic is like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. You don't look cool. People see you and think you don't value your life.

Promote research that shows the benefits of wearing masks. Research

Start promoting universal masks-wearing at the local level. Encourage your neighbors, apartment building, and city government to wear masks.

References

1.) Rational use of face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic

2.) Coronavirus: How Japan keeps COVID-19 under control

3.) Coronavirus can travel twice as far as official ‘safe distance’ and stay in air for 30 minutes, Chinese study finds

4.) Testing the Efficacy of Homemade Masks: Would They Protect in an Influenza Pandemic?

5.) Association between 2019-nCoV transmission and N95 respirator use

6.) Simple DIY masks could help flatten the curve. We should all wear them in public.

7.) COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

#MasksForAll Community

#MasksForAll Youtube

Mask Builders

Contact

[co-defend]

The highly contagious Omicron virus has hit the world by storm with an extensive spreading approach among people. Once again, there is a maddening rush towards protective self and others by following the necessary precautions. Specifically, by using high-quality respirators like N95, K95, and more. Read on to know more.

[sierracortney011]

I Can Define What a Woman Is

Biden Supreme Court nominee can’t, but I Can Define What a Woman Is.

Breitbart: “After President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was unable to define the word ‘woman’ during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday — claiming she is ‘not a biologist’ — USA Today outdid Jackson by arguing that even a ‘competent biologist’ would be unable to ‘offer a definitive answer either.”

Related – Dr. Alexander said Pfizer Offered him $1 Million Dollars

Get ready for something startling.

If you’re born with a vagina, and doctors don’t alter it, you’ll grow up to be a woman.

That’s it. That’s the definition.

This is true for a tiger, a giraffe, an elephant, a rhinoceros, a human.

Regardless of race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, or social media status.

Transgenderism is surgical and chemical. At its source, it isn’t biological.

But now, apparently, it IS. Because. Just because.

“If we say something is biological, it is. This is science. We follow the science.”

And part of the science is: “I’m a biologist. If I offer a simple obvious common-sense definition of a woman, I’ll be railroaded out of my profession. THAT’s why I’m unable to offer a definition.”

Do humans have two eyes?

Well, if surgeons remove one eye from 900,000 humans who are demanding the operation because they have a movement based on one-eye-ness, does that change basic biological reality?

If you’re doing public relations for the one-eye movement, it makes sense to push the envelope, if you can get away with it. If you can instill fear in the hearts of scientists—and they’ll now claim that “two eyes” is a problematic assertion and should be banned—you win a victory.

“Today, the Supreme Court ruled they were scared shitless and therefore…”

It certainly works in the field of law.

Can you call a glob inside a bun a burger, if it’s made out of soy, fermented mango, rubber, and used N95 masks?

No. You have to publish the ingredients, and you’re supposed to say “meatless” before “burger.”

But that’s only because the social movement on behalf of fake meat hasn’t acquired sufficient leverage. Its moral position isn’t intimidating.

If it were, you could be munching a burger made out of New York garbage pickups.

And you could be feeling righteous. And you could say:

Even biologists can’t define what a burger is.

— Jon Rappoport

Jon also writes at NoMoreFakeNews.com and OutsideTheRealityMachnine.com

Source link

The post I Can Define What a Woman Is appeared first on WHOSE-FKKN-WHO.

from WHOSE-FKKN-WHO https://firstnewsclick.com/i-can-define-what-a-woman-is/5768/ from First Coast News https://firstnewsclick.tumblr.com/post/680051203295625216

[alliedmarketresearchs]

Disposable Sanitary Masks Market Size 2020| Status | Top Players | Trends And Forecast To 2027

A disposable sanitary mask is used to cover nose and mouth. It removes small particles from the air that the user breathes. These particles can be germs or other types of dust particles. These masks are not reused, they are thrown away after use. Three types of masks, respirators, dust masks, and surgical masks are available in the market. Respirators are tested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and also labeled as N95 on it, whereas dust masks are not tested by NIOSH and only remove dust particles. 

Market scope and structure analysis:

Ø  Market size available for years

2020–2027

Ø  Base Year Considered

2019

Ø  Forecast Period

2021–2027

Ø  Forecast Unit

Value (USD)

Ø  Segment Covered

Type, Application, Channel, and Region

Ø  Regions Covered

North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), LAMEA (Middle East, Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of LAMEA)

Ø  Companies Covered

3M Company, Halyard Healthcare, Honeywell International Inc., Kimberly -Clark Corp., Kowa Company Ltd., Besco Medical Limited, Medicom group, Uvex Group.

Get a sample of the report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6812

COVID-19 Scenario Analysis: 

COVID-19 has positively affected the disposable sanitary masks as it is recommended by the health organization to use masks. This has increased the sales of disposable masks but companies are not able to meet the demand. Many countries have banned export of medical equipment and masks to other countries. 

Top Impacting Factors: Market Scenario Analysis, Trends, Drivers, and Impact Analysis

An increase in the aging population, the prevalence of contagious disease, or the virus is the factor that escalated the global disposable sanitary mask. High cost and low effectiveness of disposable masks can hamper the growth of the disposable sanitary mask market. Though, an increase in awareness of the healthcare and protection from the infectious disease can boost the growth of the global market. An advancement in the healthcare center also affects the growth of the disposable mask market.

The global disposable sanitary masks market trends are as follows:

·         The disposable market is experiencing growth from the past decade to a successful business. It has evolved from simple masks to fashionable masks. Many fashion houses have made the medical mask to a decorative mask.

·         Companies have been selling masks that provide different features for different work. For example, 3M sells different masks for different purposes like disposable paint project respirator that gives comfort as well as respiratory protection.

·         The disposable market has used both online as well as offline portals to increase the audience. This helps acquire large market segment. 

Request a discount on the report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/6812

Key Segments Covered:

Ø  Type

Dust Disposable Sanitary Mask

Surgical Disposable Sanitary     Mask

·         Respirator Disposable Sanitary Mask

Ø  Application

Industrial

Hospital & Clinic

Individual

·         Others

Ø  Channel

Online Stores

Drug Stores

·         Hospital & Clinic Pharmacy

 Key Benefits of the Report:

·         This study presents the analytical depiction of the global disposable sanitary masks industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.

·         The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the global disposable sanitary masks market share.

·         The current market is quantitatively analyzed from 2020 to 2027 to highlight the global disposable sanitary masks market growth scenario.

·         Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market. 

·         The report provides a detailed global disposable sanitary masks market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years. 

Questions Answered in the Disposable Sanitary Masks Market Research Report:

·         What are the leading market players active in the disposable sanitary masks market?

·         What the current trends will influence the market in the next few years?

·         What are the driving factors, restraints, and opportunities in the market?

·         What future projections would help in taking further strategic steps?

To know more about the report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/disposable-sanitary-masks-market-A06447

About Allied Market Research:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting services to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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[howtoledlights]

What Are the Different Types of N95 Respirator Masks?

N95 respirator are now highly specialized, disposable masks that filter out up to 95% of small dust particles below the nosepiece. This ensures that respiratory infections and irritations, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, are prevented. These masks have also been shown to reduce worker exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. Although disposable, medical grade N95 face mask made in the USA is still considered the most effective respiratory protection available.

Medical grade N95 respirator is still considered to be an N95 face mask, used in the workplace and for respiratory protection. However, as the world's population ages, the need for N95 masks in domestic environments like homes has also increased. In addition to the obvious health benefits of a disposable N95 respirator, another advantage is the additional peace of mind one experiences when using it. Having a medical grade N95 mask on at work, one is reassured that their healthcare team will be able to identify any potential risks to them early. This feeling of security extends to the family as well, as healthcare professionals are able to identify who may be at risk of contracting a disease from someone living within the household.

While disposable N95 masks may have many advantages, they do have some disadvantages. While effective filtration rates of up to 95% are common with these masks, they can also be a source of contamination. This is because the filter is often not well-fitted to your chin or mouth. The result can be that some particles become trapped inside, affecting the filtration process. Additionally, air purification through N95 filters is affected by temperature fluctuations. When you are outside, the air can be much colder, which can affect the suitability of well-fitting cloth masks.

Knutsford is renowned for its air quality, and is home to a number of medical institutions. As such, it has become the manufacturing hub for a range of N95 masks made by companies based in Reading. A range of products is available from Covid-19, including paper-faced, knitted and fabric-lined masks. While most of these products are suitable for use in the USA, some have been made for use outside the USA. These include a full face mask specifically designed for use in the Republic of Ireland.

Covid-19 offer a great selection of N95 PPE products, including paper-faced, knit, cotton, fleece and fabric lined respirators. All of these are made from materials which are highly durable. In fact, some are designed to be extremely robust. However, all of these are highly resilient, which means that they can cope with the worst conditions. In fact, many of these are specifically designed for outdoor use.

A paper-face respirator mask will fit well and look good if it is properly made. It is important to get one that fits well because if it isn't well fitted, it will not breathe, and won't last very long. It is always a good idea to get a fit that is right on first impressions, but once you get to know someone better, you should try to get them a slightly different N95 respirator mask. For instance, a knit or cotton mask might feel more comfortable to wear than one made from the finer material.

Knitting and voila, these are great N95 surgical masks which are highly breathable, as well as lightweight and durable. They are made to provide a very tight seal against any edges around the head, neck and face, so particles are kept inside and are not disturbed in any way. This is essential for ensuring that no small particles escape, which could cause infection in small or vulnerable people who touch them without protection. As such, they are very effective at containing dust, germs, and other small particles, as well as being used to protect the eyes from dirt, irritants and other substances. This is why they are an excellent choice of medical respirator for a variety of purposes.

The above examples are just a few of the N95 surgical masks currently available to frontline workers. There are many more made with high quality materials that offer the same kind of protection, whether it is required for a specific purpose or worn for general protection. Medical protective masks can be a lifesaver for anyone whose life may depend on their ability to keep on doing their job without fear of jeopardizing their health. By ensuring that your N95 respirator has been specifically designed to meet your needs, you are ensuring the safety of not only yourself but other employees and the public.

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Health Workers and Hospitals Grapple With Millions of Counterfeit N95 Masks

This story also ran on NBC News. It can be republished for free.

Thousands of counterfeit 3M respirators have slipped past U.S. investigators in recent months, making it to the cheeks and chins of health care workers and perplexing experts who say their quality is not vastly inferior to the real thing.

N95 masks are prized for their ability to filter out 95% of the minuscule particles that can carry covid-19. Yet the fakes pouring into the country have fooled health care leaders from coast to coast. As many as 1.9 million counterfeit 3M masks made their way to about 40 hospitals in Washington state, according to the state hospital association, spurring officials to alert staff members and pull them off the shelf. The elite Cleveland Clinic recently conceded that, since November, it had inadvertently distributed 3M counterfeits to hospital staffers. A Minnesota hospital made a similar admission.

Nurses at Jersey Shore University Medical Center have been highly suspicious since November that the misshapen and odd-smelling “3M” masks they were given are knockoffs, their concerns fueled by mask lot numbers matching those the company listed online as possible fakes.

“People have been terrified for the last 2½ months,” said Daniel Hayes, a nurse and union vice president at the New Jersey hospital. “They felt like they were taking their lives in their hands, and they don’t have anything else to wear.”

According to 3M, the leading U.S. producer of N95s, more than 10 million counterfeits have been seized since the pandemic began and the company has fielded 10,500 queries about the authenticity of N95s. The company said in a Jan. 20 letter that its work in recent months led to the seizure of fake 3M masks “sold or offered to government agencies” in at least six states. After KHN sent photos of the masks the New Jersey nurses questioned, a 3M spokesperson referred to them as “the counterfeits you identified.”

At KHN’s request, ECRI agreed to test the masks that sparked the New Jersey nurses’ concern. Tests of a dozen masks showed they filtered out 95% or more of the 0.3-micron particles they’re expected to catch. (ECRI is a nonprofit that helps health providers assess the quality of medical technology.)

ECRI engineering director Chris Lavanchy said several health organizations across the U.S. have recently made similar requests for tests of apparently fake 3M masks that the company warned about.

Lavanchy said the results have shown similarly high filtration levels, but also higher breathing resistance than expected. He said such resistance can fatigue the person wearing the mask or cause it to lift off the face, letting in unfiltered air.

“We’re kind of scratching our heads trying to understand this situation, because it’s not as black-and-white as I would have expected,” Lavanchy said. “I’ve looked at other masks we knew were counterfeit and they usually perform terribly.”

3M spokesperson Jennifer Ehrlich said a critical feature of N95 masks, aside from filtration, is how well they fit.

“Without a proper seal and fit, respirators are not filtering [properly] — gaps could allow air to enter,” Ehrlich said via email.

The materials management team for Hackensack Meridian Health, which owns the Jersey Shore hospital, is “working with an independent lab on validating the quality and compliance of specific lot numbers of 3M N95 respirators the company identified as potentially problematic,” according to a company statement.

When the Washington State Hospital Association purchased 300,000 N95s in December, it sent samples to hospital leaders, who said they appeared legitimate.

“It’s not like we just ordered them sight unseen,” said Beth Zborowski, spokesperson for the association. “We had two major medical centers in Seattle … look at the quality, straps, cut them open and decide ‘This looks like it’s the real deal’ before they bought them.”

She said major hospital systems in the state bought more on their own, adding up to 1.9 million.

Throughout the pandemic, workers have also been provided with Chinese-made KN95 masks — approved by U.S. regulators on an emergency basis — that turned out to be far less effective than billed.

In April, the Food and Drug Administration, responding to dire shortages of high-quality masks for health care workers, opened the door to KN95s, which are supposed to offer the same level of protection as N95s.

Yet, as months passed, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard, MIT and ECRI discovered that KN95s did not meet the high standard: 40% to 70% of the KN95s failed their tests and some filtered out only 30% of the tiny particles.

More than 3,400 front-line health care workers have died during the pandemic, KHN and The Guardian have found in the ongoing Lost on the Frontline project, and many families have raised concerns about inadequate protective gear. Yet the actual harm that any substandard or knockoff device presents remains difficult to assess.

Researchers say it’s unethical to conduct a study that involves giving health workers a product they know is less protective than another when lives are at stake. And short of performing in-depth genome sequencing on each worker’s viral strain, it’s hard to know exactly how any person got sick.

At the U.S. border, safeguarding the medical gear supply is a high priority, said Michael Rose, a section chief in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s global trade division.

His job for the past year has been investigating a wide variety of covid-related scams. Of all those cases, Rose said, the flood of fake 3M masks from China has been the most consistent.

“It’s definitely cat and mouse,” Rose said. “Where we might get better [at intercepting counterfeits], they can ship elsewhere, change the name of the company and keep going.”

Many investigations lead to seizures in the nation’s massive ports of entry, where enormous cargo ships and planes carry giant containers of goods. There, agents might spot a dead giveaway like a box just off a ship from Shenzhen, China, marked “3M” and “Made in the USA.”

“I’d like to say that makes it easier, and it does, but the sheer volume of them coming in …” he said. “It’s like a needle in a stack of needles.”

The demand for highly protective masks has surged twelvefold during the pandemic, said Chaun Powell, vice president of disaster response for Premier, a major hospital supply company. The national medical use of N95s used to be about 25 million a year, but it soared to 300 million last year, he said.

That meant hospitals and other health providers couldn’t rely on their usual sources of products to meet their need for personal protective gear.

Health care providers “had to find alternatives,” Powell said, “and that created opportunities for fraudulent manufacturers to be opportunistic and sneak in.”

Many of Rose’s investigations originate from customer complaints about apparent fakes to 3M, which forwards reports to his team. Others come from hospitals, health systems or eagle-eyed first responders who email Covid19fraud@dhs.gov.

Border Patrol agents, working with Rose’s team and anticipating shipments from known counterfeiters, have seized thousands of fake N95s in recent weeks, including 100,080 at a port of entry near El Paso, Texas, in December and 144,000 flown from Hong Kong to New York. In all, federal officials say, they have seized more than 14.5 million masks, many fake 3Ms but other counterfeit cloth or surgical masks as well.

In New Jersey, staff members began complaining in November about their masks to union leaders at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, said Kendra McCann, president of the hospital’s Health Professionals and Allied Employees union local.

The masks, which seemed flimsy and made some workers’ faces burn, were turning up in every unit of the hospital. After a union member discovered a letter on the 3M website pinpointing their mask lots as potentially fake, managers began to remove the masks but suspected fakes continued to turn up, McCann said.

Hackensack Meridian said a daily call with hospital leaders includes “reminders to report any suspect PPE so that it can be removed immediately and evaluated.”

The episode added stress to caregivers who are terrified about getting infected and bringing the virus into their own homes.

“Nurses are scared to death,” McCann said in mid-January as the masks continued to pop up, “because they’re not being provided with the proper PPE.”

Eli Cahan contributed to this report.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Health Workers and Hospitals Grapple With Millions of Counterfeit N95 Masks published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[stephenmccull]

Health Workers and Hospitals Grapple With Millions of Counterfeit N95 Masks

This story also ran on NBC News. It can be republished for free.

Thousands of counterfeit 3M respirators have slipped past U.S. investigators in recent months, making it to the cheeks and chins of health care workers and perplexing experts who say their quality is not vastly inferior to the real thing.

N95 masks are prized for their ability to filter out 95% of the minuscule particles that can carry covid-19. Yet the fakes pouring into the country have fooled health care leaders from coast to coast. As many as 1.9 million counterfeit 3M masks made their way to about 40 hospitals in Washington state, according to the state hospital association, spurring officials to alert staff members and pull them off the shelf. The elite Cleveland Clinic recently conceded that, since November, it had inadvertently distributed 3M counterfeits to hospital staffers. A Minnesota hospital made a similar admission.

Nurses at Jersey Shore University Medical Center have been highly suspicious since November that the misshapen and odd-smelling “3M” masks they were given are knockoffs, their concerns fueled by mask lot numbers matching those the company listed online as possible fakes.

“People have been terrified for the last 2½ months,” said Daniel Hayes, a nurse and union vice president at the New Jersey hospital. “They felt like they were taking their lives in their hands, and they don’t have anything else to wear.”

According to 3M, the leading U.S. producer of N95s, more than 10 million counterfeits have been seized since the pandemic began and the company has fielded 10,500 queries about the authenticity of N95s. The company said in a Jan. 20 letter that its work in recent months led to the seizure of fake 3M masks “sold or offered to government agencies” in at least six states. After KHN sent photos of the masks the New Jersey nurses questioned, a 3M spokesperson referred to them as “the counterfeits you identified.”

At KHN’s request, ECRI agreed to test the masks that sparked the New Jersey nurses’ concern. Tests of a dozen masks showed they filtered out 95% or more of the 0.3-micron particles they’re expected to catch. (ECRI is a nonprofit that helps health providers assess the quality of medical technology.)

ECRI engineering director Chris Lavanchy said several health organizations across the U.S. have recently made similar requests for tests of apparently fake 3M masks that the company warned about.

Lavanchy said the results have shown similarly high filtration levels, but also higher breathing resistance than expected. He said such resistance can fatigue the person wearing the mask or cause it to lift off the face, letting in unfiltered air.

“We’re kind of scratching our heads trying to understand this situation, because it’s not as black-and-white as I would have expected,” Lavanchy said. “I’ve looked at other masks we knew were counterfeit and they usually perform terribly.”

3M spokesperson Jennifer Ehrlich said a critical feature of N95 masks, aside from filtration, is how well they fit.

“Without a proper seal and fit, respirators are not filtering [properly] — gaps could allow air to enter,” Ehrlich said via email.

The materials management team for Hackensack Meridian Health, which owns the Jersey Shore hospital, is “working with an independent lab on validating the quality and compliance of specific lot numbers of 3M N95 respirators the company identified as potentially problematic,” according to a company statement.

When the Washington State Hospital Association purchased 300,000 N95s in December, it sent samples to hospital leaders, who said they appeared legitimate.

“It’s not like we just ordered them sight unseen,” said Beth Zborowski, spokesperson for the association. “We had two major medical centers in Seattle … look at the quality, straps, cut them open and decide ‘This looks like it’s the real deal’ before they bought them.”

She said major hospital systems in the state bought more on their own, adding up to 1.9 million.

Throughout the pandemic, workers have also been provided with Chinese-made KN95 masks — approved by U.S. regulators on an emergency basis — that turned out to be far less effective than billed.

In April, the Food and Drug Administration, responding to dire shortages of high-quality masks for health care workers, opened the door to KN95s, which are supposed to offer the same level of protection as N95s.

Yet, as months passed, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard, MIT and ECRI discovered that KN95s did not meet the high standard: 40% to 70% of the KN95s failed their tests and some filtered out only 30% of the tiny particles.

More than 3,400 front-line health care workers have died during the pandemic, KHN and The Guardian have found in the ongoing Lost on the Frontline project, and many families have raised concerns about inadequate protective gear. Yet the actual harm that any substandard or knockoff device presents remains difficult to assess.

Researchers say it’s unethical to conduct a study that involves giving health workers a product they know is less protective than another when lives are at stake. And short of performing in-depth genome sequencing on each worker’s viral strain, it’s hard to know exactly how any person got sick.

At the U.S. border, safeguarding the medical gear supply is a high priority, said Michael Rose, a section chief in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s global trade division.

His job for the past year has been investigating a wide variety of covid-related scams. Of all those cases, Rose said, the flood of fake 3M masks from China has been the most consistent.

“It’s definitely cat and mouse,” Rose said. “Where we might get better [at intercepting counterfeits], they can ship elsewhere, change the name of the company and keep going.”

Many investigations lead to seizures in the nation’s massive ports of entry, where enormous cargo ships and planes carry giant containers of goods. There, agents might spot a dead giveaway like a box just off a ship from Shenzhen, China, marked “3M” and “Made in the USA.”

“I’d like to say that makes it easier, and it does, but the sheer volume of them coming in …” he said. “It’s like a needle in a stack of needles.”

The demand for highly protective masks has surged twelvefold during the pandemic, said Chaun Powell, vice president of disaster response for Premier, a major hospital supply company. The national medical use of N95s used to be about 25 million a year, but it soared to 300 million last year, he said.

That meant hospitals and other health providers couldn’t rely on their usual sources of products to meet their need for personal protective gear.

Health care providers “had to find alternatives,” Powell said, “and that created opportunities for fraudulent manufacturers to be opportunistic and sneak in.”

Many of Rose’s investigations originate from customer complaints about apparent fakes to 3M, which forwards reports to his team. Others come from hospitals, health systems or eagle-eyed first responders who email Covid19fraud@dhs.gov.

Border Patrol agents, working with Rose’s team and anticipating shipments from known counterfeiters, have seized thousands of fake N95s in recent weeks, including 100,080 at a port of entry near El Paso, Texas, in December and 144,000 flown from Hong Kong to New York. In all, federal officials say, they have seized more than 14.5 million masks, many fake 3Ms but other counterfeit cloth or surgical masks as well.

In New Jersey, staff members began complaining in November about their masks to union leaders at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, said Kendra McCann, president of the hospital’s Health Professionals and Allied Employees union local.

The masks, which seemed flimsy and made some workers’ faces burn, were turning up in every unit of the hospital. After a union member discovered a letter on the 3M website pinpointing their mask lots as potentially fake, managers began to remove the masks but suspected fakes continued to turn up, McCann said.

Hackensack Meridian said a daily call with hospital leaders includes “reminders to report any suspect PPE so that it can be removed immediately and evaluated.”

The episode added stress to caregivers who are terrified about getting infected and bringing the virus into their own homes.

“Nurses are scared to death,” McCann said in mid-January as the masks continued to pop up, “because they’re not being provided with the proper PPE.”

Eli Cahan contributed to this report.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Health Workers and Hospitals Grapple With Millions of Counterfeit N95 Masks published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[expatimes]

Super Bowl LV: One for the ages despite COVID, politics

When the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV in February last year, it was simply another National Football League (NFL) championship triumph, complete with the pomp surrounding one of the world’s most-watched sporting events and the celebratory gatherings across the United States before, during and after the game.

Within weeks, COVID-19 ripped through the country. The pandemic threw big-time American sports into turmoil.

The annual college basketball tournament, known as “March Madness”, was cancelled.

Major professional baseball, basketball and hockey leagues were forced to cancel games and overhaul their procedures.

The NFL aimed to move forward with severely altered protocols, anticipating a full off-season and regular season set to begin in September.

If dealing with the pandemic was not a massive enough crisis for the league, the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in May, had an outsized effect on the NFL and its players, 70 percent of whom are Black.

Now, as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many are marvelling that the season is culminating in two of the best teams facing off when so much could have sent it off the rails.

“Credit goes to the organisations and the players, who came together to stay disciplined” through what could have turned out to be a polarising season marked by subpar play on the field, US sports commentator Jon Meterparel told Al Jazeera.

This Sunday, just 22,000 spectators will be in attendance, about a third of the Tampa stadium’s capacity. The league will provide N95 masks to all attendees.

Top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has said he is comfortable with the outdoor gathering “as long as they wear masks and as long as there’s physical distancing”.

The season witnessed labelled bottles, face masks, and many other measures intended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus

Pandemic response

The NFL had just begun its off-season when the coronavirus outbreak began in the US – a distinct advantage it had over other professional sports.

That gave league officials more time to consider how they would proceed and coordinate with the players’ union on a contract tailored to the pandemic.

What they agreed to was an approach that emphasised increasingly strict precautions: Daily testing, restrictions on players’ activities in their free time, and aggressive contract tracing and quarantining.

The league and players’ union eschewed creating a neutral “bubble”, where teams gather and collectively quarantine during the season, an approach taken by the National Basketball Association.

While each team had several players who opted out of the season because of the pandemic, the overall strategy was widely considered a success, with the NFL teaming up with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to see if the general public can learn from the approach.

A resulting CDC study said elements of the NFL’s strategy in limiting the spread of the coronavirus could be applied “to settings such as long-term care facilities, schools, and high-density environments”.

Allen Sills, NFL’s chief medical officer, said the season showed the league was “able to show that you can play a team sport while minimising risk to the participants”.

That extended to spectators, Sills told reporters on Sunday.

Initially fans could not attend games. By week six, they were gradually allowed into stadiums at reduced capacity.

Signs that urge fans to wear a face mask are seen before an NFL football game in Tampa, Florida last year

Sills said the league had not “traced any outbreaks or cluster of cases to any of the places we have hosted fans”.

Under the league’s strict contact tracing policy, which relied on players using “proximity recording devices”, those who came in close contact with infected individuals were required to quarantine for several days.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said games would not be rescheduled for “competitive considerations”. That meant games would only be moved if there were concerns an outbreak had not been contained, not if key players would have to sit out due to the precautions.

It created some unique scenarios.

The Denver Broncos were forced to field practice squad wide receiver, Kendall Hinton, playing quarterback – a crucial offensive position – after their entire quarterback roster was made ineligible due to coronavirus precautions.

He fared poorly, completing only one pass and throwing two interceptions in nine attempts.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) sacks Denver Broncos quarterback Kendall Hinton (2), on November 29, 2020, in Denver, Colorado

Another unlikely circumstance came during the playoffs when the Cleveland Browns took on the Pittsburgh Steelers with their head coach Kevin Stefanski watching from home.

“You really have to double down on the protocols and trust the protocols and make sure that everybody’s safety is priority number one,” Stefanski told The Washington Post in January.

Social justice protest

In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the US national anthem, protesting racial injustice.

The silent act kicked off a firestorm of criticism, fuelled largely by former President Donald Trump, who called for kneeling players to be fired.

NFL Commissioner Goodell, at the time, suggested Kaepernick’s actions, which were replicated at venues across the world, showed a lack of patriotism. The star quarterback was later forced out of the league.

In 2020, as racial protests swept the country following the police killing of Floyd, players spoke out.

Several players released a video in June calling on the league to “condemn racism and a systemic oppression of Black people … admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting”.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson warms up before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York

“We must have the answer today, and we will work with players, staff and more to arrive at a timely response,” Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, a Pakistani immigrant, said in a statement.

This time, the NFL’s response was starkly different. Goodell swiftly released a video saying the league was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest”.

“We are listening, I am listening,” said Goodell.

The first week of games in 2020 was defined by end zones emblazoned with the phrases “End Racism” and “It Takes All of Us”; league-sanctioned moments of silence for racial inequality; the playing of the Black national anthem “Raise every voice and sing” at games; and players allowed to wear the names of victims of police brutality on their helmets.

New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley wears a decal on his helmet paying tribute to Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, in March

The NFL, through its Inspire Change programme, has also pledged $250m over 10 years for social justice initiatives.

Kenneth Shropshire, a professor of Global Sport and the CEO of the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University, told Al Jazeera the league’s shift was a perfect storm: The striking video of Floyd’s death, the pandemic pause in sports giving NFL brass “more time to contemplate”, and less antagonism from Trump.

“The Kaepernick moment was one where the league was let’s shut this down. We don’t need this. The theme of the day was this is distraction from playing,” said Shropshire.

“And to the credit of players like Eric Reid and Kenny Stills, they persisted, even with the potential wrath of being someone who is never signed again, like Kaepernick,” he said.

San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid (35) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) kneel during the national anthem before an NFL football game in September 2016

Shropshire also noted that the initiative “coincided with one of the worst hiring seasons for African American coaches”, with only one Black coach hired among seven openings the past several weeks, despite “outstanding candidates”.

Kaepernick has called the NFL initiatives “propaganda” and a disingenuous attempt to seize on the cultural zeitgeist, while accusing the league of “blackballing” Reid, who went unsigned in 2020.

‘One of the great matchups’

As an unquestionably unique season reaches its culmination on Sunday, sports commentators are certain American football fans will witness history.

On the field, the game pits the oldest – and arguably the greatest – quarterback to start a Super Bowl: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 43-year-old Tom Brady, who won a record six championships with the New England Patriots.

Up against him is a young superstar quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes, who won his first Super Bowl last year.

Tony Romo, who will be announcing the game for US broadcaster CBS, told USA Today this is “one of the great matchups in sports history”.

Given the past year’s challenges, “the fact that the NFL completed another successful season is nothing short of fantastic,” said US sports commentator Jon Meterparel.

Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=17713&feed_id=32159

[co-defend]

Omicron has been considered as the variant of biggest concern today with unknowing features & symptoms. It is spreading fast all across the world with an exponential speed leaving people and federal authorities in constant distress. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the spread of new and potentially hazardous variants is spread across 38 countries on six continents. Still, people do not know the contagious frequency, symptoms, and overall impact of the virus.

[zigdirty]

https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/the-trumperdammerung-is-a-fitting-end-to-2020

Pasting the story by Susan B. Glasser, posted today, below, if you don't want all the ads and page loads on the New Yorker website:

As the awful year of 2020 and the awful tenure of Donald Trump both come to an end, the President has partied with the unmasked in Palm Beach and taken credit for a vaccine against a virus that he once counselled could be beaten with bleach. He has pardoned mercenary child-killers and Paul Manafort. He has golfed. He has raged. He has vetoed the annual defense bill and threatened to shut down the government over the holidays. He has turned against even some of his most loyal henchmen, and some, in turn, have finally flipped on him. “Mr. President . . . STOP THE INSANITY,” the New York Post blared on Monday, after four years of relentless cheerleading.

But, of course, the President did not, and he will not. He continues to refuse to accept his defeat in the election, and just the other day he retweeted a claim that “treason” kept him from winning. Injecting still more political drama into the most ministerial of constitutional processes, Trump and his most fanatical supporters now want Congress to refuse to confirm Joe Biden’s Electoral College win on January 6th—which is both pointless, in that it will not happen, and incredibly destructive. Meanwhile, more than a hundred thousand Americans have died of the coronavirus just since the election, and only two million Americans—not the hundred million he once promised—have so far received the vaccine.

The Trümperdämmerung is finally here, and it is every bit the raging dumpster fire that we, the unlucky audience for this drama, have come to expect. Is there anyone left who is surprised that the President is careening through the last days of his Administration with a reckless disdain that simply has no precedent in American public life? Still, the hardest thing to accept is that 2020 is not merely the year that Donald Trump’s luck ran out but that with it the country’s did, too. Sadly and yet inevitably, this terrible, wretchedly toxic year of pandemic death and economic distress, of partisan hatred and national protest, is the culmination of all that Trump has wrought and all that he is.

Now that 2020 is finally almost over, I find that I don’t want to remember it at all. (Though you should read Lawrence Wright’s definitive account of this Plague Year in this week’s New Yorker.) Perhaps this is simply because Trump has remained so defiantly and obnoxiously unrepentant, continuing his antics all the way to the end. He does not want to let go, to cede the spotlight, to renounce his outsized claim on our collective consciousness. It is my protest, our protest, to want so desperately to do so.

As it is, we are still in 2020, and I can barely summon the concerns and controversies of a year ago, when the most pressing political question in Washington was whether Trump’s former national-security adviser John Bolton would have to testify in the impeachment trial of the President. (Spoiler alert: he didn’t, though he would eventually call Trump unfit for office in a book whose contents he did not share with the United States Senate and the American public when it mattered most.) Now that the election and all the other mayhem associated with it have happened, it’s hard to recall that 2020 began with me wondering whether Biden still had a chance in the upcoming Democratic primaries, and pondering why the promising Presidential campaign of Kamala Harris had flamed out so quickly, before a single vote was cast. This was back when Trumpian outrages seemed less threatening to the literal health of the nation.

How much worse was 2020? Well, NBC’s list of the President’s ten biggest lies in 2019 included Trump perennials like the idea that windmills, because of their noise, “cause cancer,” and “people are flushing toilets ten times, fifteen times,” and the U.S. will “be going to Mars very soon.” All are bad, absurd, and embarrassing coming from a President, but would not even rate in this year’s far deadlier, more consequential tally. Trump was not just a circus this year; he was an actual catastrophe.

Which is why the before times are so hard to conjure now, nine months into the pandemic and nearly two months after an election whose aftermath has challenged the very foundation of American democracy. I can remember, sort of, Nancy Pelosi ripping up Trump’s State of the Union speech, and the drama of Mitt Romney becoming the only senator in history to vote to convict an impeached President of his own party. I can recall, sort of, the anxiety that followed the U.S. assassination of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard leader Qassem Suleimani, and the drama of Biden’s remarkable comeback in the Democratic Presidential race.

In reality, though, the year really began for me, for us, in February—on February 24th, to be precise, when Trump tweeted, “The coronavirus is very much under control in the USA.” We already knew that this wasn’t true. I had spent the previous weekend haranguing my visiting parents about the virus and begging them to purchase N95 masks before it was too late. But somehow I did not fully recognize until that moment that Trump was going to approach the biggest public-health emergency of our lifetimes with a strategy of outright denial. The Big Lie of 2020 had begun. So many more followed that it’s hard to remember the breathtaking simplicity of this first untruth, the foundational lie from which so many deadly consequences would flow.

“Just stay calm. It will go away,” Trump said on March 10th, when thirty-one Americans were dead. “It’s going to go away,” he said on August 31st, by which point nearly two hundred thousand had died. “It’s going to disappear,” he said on October 10th. “It is disappearing.” He said that the coronavirus was a Chinese plot and that concern over it was a Democratic hoax, that he knew how to treat it better than the doctors did, that it was just like the flu, and that, if you got it, you would get better, as he eventually did in October. “That’s all I hear about now. . . . covid, covid, covid, covid,” he said before the election. “By the way, on November 4th, you won’t hear about it anymore.” But that wasn’t true, either, and, since then, millions of Americans have been infected with the disease, and December has been by far our deadliest month yet.

To be sure, there are many, many other Trumpisms from 2020 that would have been mind-blowing in another context, in any other year. That’s the thing about historic, world-changing times; so much happens that you can’t remember it all. Still, I am quite certain that, even amid the firehose of 2020 awfulness, the Worst Photo-Op in American History and the Worst Debate in American History and the Worst Case of Sore-Loserism in American History will rate a mention.

Thinking back through the year, I realize, too, that there is much that we will not only forget but may not even believe actually happened. Trump pressing his Attorney General to prosecute his opponent weeks before the election? Trump holding rallies with thousands of unmasked followers during a deadly pandemic, including a superspreader White House event at which he introduced a Supreme Court nominee whom Republican senators hurriedly confirmed just days before Trump was defeated? “Person, woman, man, camera, TV”? “Obamagate,” which was supposedly “the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA”? It’s just all too insane.

When I Googled “craziest shit Trump did in 2020,” a column I wrote in September, on “Twenty Other Disturbing, Awful Things That Trump Has Said This Month,” popped up. Although it was published just a few months ago, I realized that I did not remember many of the examples cited in it—the “super-duper” new “hydrosonic” missile that does not actually exist; Trump’s accusation that Biden got a “big fat shot in the ass” of some unknown drug; Trump’s admission that he was getting his information about the uselessness of mask-wearing from “waiters.” This, as George W. Bush was reported to have said about Trump’s ominous Inaugural Address, was some weird shit indeed.

Remembering all of this is already both hard and painful. There is still much more to learn about the disastrous events of the past four years in Trump’s Washington and on his watch. But I recognize that there are powerful forces—in human nature, in the politics of both the right and the left—that will push us toward forgetting. The urge to move on from Trump is understandable, and potentially very, very dangerous. As of noon on January 20th, no matter what other madness comes between now and then, America will start to move on anyway.

Out of all the books I read this year—and I read many, stuck at home during 2020’s endless quarantine—the one that resonated perhaps the most was “Those Who Forget,” an account by the French-German author Géraldine Schwarz of postwar Europe’s, and her own family’s, not entirely successful effort to reckon with the crimes of the Second World War. It made the very convincing case that, until and unless there is a full accounting for what happened with Donald Trump, 2020 is not over and never will be. I still don’t want to remember, but I know that forgetting is not an option, either.

This has been a terrifying and sobering year, and presidency, to be sure. Sadly the consequences of it won't dissipate any time soon, or possibly at all.

[brillianceairmask]

What Are The Differences Between Various Face Covers?

What Are The Differences Between Various Face Covers?

The ever-changing world has called for masks to become a part of our daily lives. With the widespread of COVID-19, masks became the world’s first line of defense to help protect against getting the virus and spreading it to others. 

In the midst of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have urged people to wear face coverings over their mouths and noses while in the public. Government officials have stepped in, and many states have mandated face mask to be worn before you can enter a public establishment, including grocery stores, doctor offices, and banks. 

To comply with statewide mandates many individuals have visited the question, “Which face coverings are the best, and what are the differences among them?” In this article, we will explore this question and help answer the pros and cons of each type of face mask. 

What Is The Role Of A Mask?

A mask may not completely stop you from getting a specific illness but it is designed to help deter the spread of germs. Since COVID-19 is an airborne pathogen, masks must be worn to keep it from entering your airway.

When worn properly, a mask will shield your nose and mouth from any airborne pathogens. This will greatly help decrease the number of germs that are being spread and hopefully bring our nation back to some sort of normal. 

What Are the Different Types of Face Masks?

The CDC and WHO have approved basic and surgical face masks to be worn by the general public as protection against COVID. These masks are designed to help prevent the spread of illness that you may have. 

The different types of masks include:

Cloth Face Covers

Three-ply Face Mask

Plastic Shield

N95 Mask

Let’s look at each type of face mask a little closer so we can understand the pros and cons of each. This will help you make the best choice on which mask you would like to wear.

Basic Cloth Face Mask

These are standard everyday face masks. They are highly economical as you can make them right at home. Many people have stepped up during the pandemic and offered to make face masks to help deter the spread of COVID-19. While basic cloth masks are affordable, they may not be the best choice for filtering out the germs that it is catching from the outside world. Plus, this type of mask will require you to have good hygiene practice and wash the mask after every use. 

Pros

Affordable, as you can make them out of material that is in your home. 

May help in preventing the spread of some germs.

Washable and reusable.

Cons

Does not contain the filtration system that other masks do. 

No real protection against airborne particles. 

Can be susceptible to some droplets. 

Must be washed regularly

Three-Ply Face Mask

A three-ply mask is designed with multiple layers to help filter out germs more efficiently. One of the best brands is the Brilliance Air mask, as their layers are designed utilizing the latest technology in the industry. 

The outer layer will filter out dust, odors, and large particles. Plus, it is waterproof. The middle is a melt-blown layer and is critical to filter out small particles. The inner layer that is closest to your mouth is made of the same material as the outer layer. It is designed to provide more protection. As an added plus, there is an extra strip of non woven material that is put on after the ear loop.  This helps prevent the ear loops from snapping off as you place the mask on.

Also, Brilliance Air masks are manufactured right here in the USA. This means you will not have to wait a long time to receive your mask. There are other brands on the market, but they are not all created equally. Remember this when shopping for a face mask to protect you and your family. 

Pros

Provides additional protection that other masks do not. 

Affordable as most come in multi packs and may also offer bulk discounts. 

Disposable, which means you can use it and not have to worry about cleaning it after each use. 

Cons

Cannot be used multiple times. 

Three-ply masks may not always be easy to find unless you go with a company that manufactures here in the USA like Brilliance Air. 

Plastic Shield

A plastic shield is constructed out of flimsy plastic but resembles the mask that a welder would wear. It will cover the entire face from the forehead to the chin. These shields have a headband for you to place on your head. Most medical professionals agree that a full-length face shield is not ideal during the pandemic, as it can become difficult to breathe in over-time. 

Pros

Covers the entire face including eyes, nose, and mouth. 

Helps deter you from touching areas of your face when wearing your shield, which can decrease the spread of germs even more. 

Easy to find and typically not too pricey. 

Cons

Requires you to have good hygiene and wipe them down after every use. 

Many low-quality shields on the market will not provide adequate protection. 

Hard to wear for extended periods of time. 

Not as effective as masks that offer a filtration system. 

N95 Mask

While N95 Masks are designed to filter out all airborne pathogens, these types of masks are extremely hard to find and come with a hefty price. These types of masks are typically saved for medical facilities, as the pandemic has made it near impossible to find them. Plus, the ones you do find tend to cost several dollars a mask, which is not ideal when you can only use them one time. 

Pros

Dense Filter

Will filter airborne pathogens and droplets. 

Medical grade certified. 

Cons

N95 Masks are difficult to breathe in. 

Healthcare providers need these masks the most, so they are hard to find. 

Would require training to wear these types of masks properly. 

Final Note

The market is saturated with face coverings, but in our research, it is best to go with a three-ply mask, such as the one offered by Brilliance Air. These masks are economically priced, offer extensive protection, and are shipped right here in the United States. 

Do not be fooled by ads claiming to be the best face mask on the market. Make sure that you do your research and truly understand what the difference is between the various types of masks. This will help you make the best decision for you and your family. 

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