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Early in the pandemic you might pay $7 or even $10 per N95 mask, and there’s been a tremendous amount of fraud and scammy masks (especially scammy KN95 masks, made in China ostensibly to the Chinese standard) and KF94 South Korean masks that strangely have all Chinese language writing on the packaging.
But the truth is that masks just aren’t that hard to come by anymore. I’ve been covering numerous deals where N95s are plentiful. Some of them sell out quickly. But I haven’t seen anything as low as 3M N95 Particulate Respirator, 9010, (Box of 50 Respirators) for 79 cents apiece with free Prime shipping (box of 50).
You have to wear a mask if you fly. Many states and businesses require mask-wearing. If you’re going to wear a mask, you should make it a good one that’s actually protective.
This won’t mean that you have the same protection as a health care worker in a hospital with a properly fitted mask. It doesn’t make you invincible. But it’s much better protection than a cloth mask, and better than a level 3 procedure mask. And at this pricing many of you can afford to change out your masks regularly. Learn to wear it properly, there are plenty of videos on Youtube.
This may not be your preferred size and style. It’s a lot more per mask but I like Aiden Health’s N95 fit kit where they send you an assortment of 10 different styles of masks so you can figure out what works best for your face and comfort.
This 3M N95 Particulate Respirator, 9010, (Box of 50 Respirators) at 79 cents apiece shipped may not last. However I do believe the mask shortage – especially for non-surgical N95s – is over. It’s time to start wearing better masks. They don’t just protect against Covid but can help against other airborne pathogens as well. For instance all of the precautions we’ve been taking have seemed to suppress the flu this past year.
(HT: Dan’s Deals)
I’ve been to both the hospital and the ENT and both doctors I have seen were wearing simple disposable paper masks. While I get that these doctors have been fully vaccinated, I do not think that we need to be promoting the use of these “heavy-duty” masks. As more and more of society gets vaccinated, I think that promoting the use of these masks sends the wrong message. We are heading back towards a life with no masks, why promote the idea that we need to have superbly protective masks?
Just my 2 cents!
Timely post when over half the adults in the US have gotten at least 1 shot and mask requirements are being dropped.
I understand they won’t go away totally for many months and airlines may keep them at least through 2021 but I am fully vaccinated and if I wear a mask it will be a comfortable loose cotton one. I’ll do the least to meet requirements but don’t feel I really need to worry about wearing a mask to protect me or anyone else from me.
No need for an N95 mask when you’re fully vaccinated.
I beg to differ with Omar.
The BBC did a story on bbcnews.com where they used the Swiss cheese analogy. Virus goes through every known defense but layer your defense and you have a better chance.
Example: masks are not foolproof but a N95 mask, properly fitted so it doesn’t fog up your glasses, if you wear glasses is helpful, but not 100%
Vaccination is helpful but also not 100%. Maybe 10% are still vulnerable? Maybe more after 9 months or a year?
Social distancing is really not that protective but helps some.
Handwashing is good, too.
Not going to public places except when necessary is a great strategy. Coronavirus cannot travel by telephone line or ethernet cable to bite you.
I utilize all of the above but do have some unavoidable human contact.
Not sure I really need three million of them though.
It is called Covid breakthrough. When I fly internationally soon, a N95 mask will be used, last thing I need is to catch Covid and be stuck overseas. I may not show any symptoms, but the PCR test will keep me from flying home.
As a covid particle is smaller than a Big Mac aroma, or perfume, particle, if I can smell either with my mask on, I’m already doomed. If you’ve been double jabbed, making people wear one is complete theater.
I wear a mask on a plane only because they will throw me off if I don’t comply.
In other news, the CDC is going to introduce new rules about wearing a helmet while driving your car to avoid many needless deaths. The price of helmets is skyrocketing as a result. #supplyanddemand
The 3M N95 mask is the one out there that is most fraudulently copied. How do you know this mask is real 3M? The vendor is Amazon. Do you trust Amazon to have done the due diligence? I would feel better about these masks if I were buying directly from 3M.
@derek, a regular surgical mask is more than sufficient, it’s almost as effective as a N95 and much more comfortable to wear. Coupled with vaccination the chance of infection is vanishingly small.
I think a big mistake that the cdc is making with recommendations is not rewarding those who have gotten vaccinated enough. Significantly relaxed rules should be applied to those who are vaccinated.
Cool, so Gary’s added hawking masks to his credit-card pushing repertoire.
Folks: this post is an advertisement – see the disclaimer at the top of the “article.” Don’t read too much into it.
Oh, and yeah, I’m fully vaccinated cloth masks and surgical/proceedure masks will do fine. Only need the N95s or KF94s in very rare circumstances.
@The Real Bob – I have an Amazon link. Big deal. What I’m writing here is consistent with everything else I’ve written. I don’t know what a mask purchase would get me, I think less than a dollar?
The box of 50 link (near the top of the article) says it’s currently not available (April 20, 2021). That might change but I don’t know.
Thank you for the link; I purchased initially when you posted the information about MSC selling them for $75/per 50 masks all in. Now it is $45 all in. My guess is that prices will continue to drop as there is less need for N95. When I am indoors I use N95 with a surgical blue mask on top, creating a double mask (hopefully like 8 layers……)