Has Biden increased production of REAL N95 masks yet?

[BigmanPigman]

I've been recycling the 5 that I got a year ago. If you never wore one the difference is like night and day to the ones that wrap around your ears. The only way my N95 budges 1 mm is if I use two hands to move it.

[msongs]

1. one heard that trump was getting right on that 9 months ago nt

[JI7]

2. Someone posted a site that sells them one time

[Bobstandard]

3. He doesn't have to. A surplus exists.

If you look on Amazon they’re immediately available from American manufacturers with FDA certifications. In fact, several American companies who ramped up production find they can’t move them as expected and are suffering financially because of that

[PSPS]

10. Product descriptions on Amazon are meaningless especially for masks.

They just publish verbatim what the vendor sends them without any checking at all.

[herding cats]

4. I know Biden invoked the Defense Production Act in regards to N95 masks

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/21/executive-order-a-sustainable-public-health-supply-chain/

Beyond that I'm not sure. I wear kn95 masks myself and haven't kept up.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

5. Home Depot has them in stock.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/N95-Disposable-Multipurpose-Respiratory-Mask-5-Pack-X127/316510189?

I like these ones and they're less than 3 bucks a piece.

[torius]

6. Wellbefore sells N95s

and other PPE. I got masks there and am happy with them though it's not possible to know for sure whether masks are authentic--they didn't have "red flags."

[HUAJIAO]

8. There is a list of CDC approved masks on their website...

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/n95list1.html

[torius]

9. Yes I got ones from Wellbefore that were on that list.

But just being on the list doesn't mean masks are real. Hospitals have bought a ton of counterfeits. I was impressed with the co.'s customer service and it seems legit, but even then ... they have to buy the masks from somewhere to sell.

[HUAJIAO]

11. If the approval # and model# match they should be good.

The CDC is pretty good at staying on top of counterfits...

For example if you go to the website and click on "X", the very first one is Xiantao Zhongyi. These are sold by ACUMED, the US importer and are NIOSH approved. I happen to have these along with others...including 3M, etc...

[PSPS]

12. approval # and model# are easily forged

[HUAJIAO]

7. Here is one of many CDC approved N95 masks.

The cheapest I have found so far.
https://accumed.com/n95-mask-for-sale-respirator-safety-face-mask-z1.html

There are numerous other suppliers as well. Just look at the CDC website as they have a list

[Alex4Martinez]

13. Home Depot, 10-pack N95 masks for $17.97, in stock in my local store.

I like that these don't rely on your ears to stay on.

I mean you could have, like, one ear or no ears and they'd still work!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-N95-Respirator-Masks-M-L-10-Pack-9500-N95/315303672

[Maru Kitteh]

14. I fit tested these, liked them a lot. $1.16 per unit is a pretty good price.

https://smile.amazon.com/Kimberly-Clark-Respirator-53358-NIOSH-Approved-Respirators/dp/B08NVDFB3R/ref=sr_1_5?crid=7NZZV3YGVG58&dchild=1&keywords=n95&qid=1615613639&sprefix=N9%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-5


What model are you wearing now? Is it comfortable for you? I could make some other suggestions if you like.

[BigmanPigman]

16. I got my batch of N95s last Feb.

right after that they ran out of the real ones. Lots of counterfeits are out there. I got some and returned them. They look the same but the fit is not early as good. They also let more air in (easier to breathe but that isn't a good thing). I recycle mine since I rarely go out still.

[mucifer]

19. Are you sending them out to be recycled? CDC says to use N95 for 8 hours Link:

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguidanceextuse.html#:~:text=Respirator%20Extended%20Use%20Recommendations,-Extended%20use%20is&text=Workers%20in%20other%20industries%20routinely,of%20continuous%20or%20intermittent%20use.

Where I work our N95s are sent out to be cleaned. I don't know if that is what you mean you are doing.

That said, more than 8 hours of an N 95 might be better than double masking. I don't know.

[BigmanPigman]

20. I only go out for a few hours at a time.

I read about reuse a lot and if you just leave them out in the air they are OK for 24 hours they are good to reuse. You don't have to do anything to clean them. They get dirty after a while but I don't care as long as they still do the job. Last week I forgot the N95 mask in my car and so I took out the one crappy mask (a loose, surgical one with ear loops) from my purse. I stopped in my tracks and made a U-turn back to my car for the N95. The surgical one was like holding a Kleenex in front of your face...worthless. An N95 feels like your hand is clamped over four nose and mouth. It gets hot and sweaty but that is OK for a few hours. I always see people on TV pulling their loose masks up. N95s don't do that at all. I can see how non-N95s are not nearly as protective and that is why I wish people would wear them instead of cloth masks and wanted to know if they were being made by now. Kids in schools should wear them first thing, then the rest of the population.

[Maru Kitteh]

21. I have about 30,000 N95s of various kinds in my office. I found some counterfeits too.

N95s come in many different models from many different manufacturers and thank goodness they have different ways of fitting because I have a couple hundred employees with different faces I need to put them on. It's AMAZING how much different the faces of adult humans can be!

The counterfeits were certainly a large problem for a while, especially while even the wholesale market was getting 6-10 dollars and more per unit. Mostly 3M 1860's were targeted (the blue-green ones) because they are the most well-known and highest demand.

ETA: There are now literally millions of N95's sitting in US warehouses around the country, unpurchased. Manufacturers have been seeking permission to sell them overseas because they are not being purchased here at home.


Let me know if I can help.

[BigmanPigman]

24. Mine are 3M 8210 Plus.

They are white with yellow elastic bands that go around the head. No loose threads, a metal nose clamp, and a seam going across halfway down where all the printing is. I saw one posted on DU but it was blue and you could see visible threads around the edges... it turned out to be a fake N95 but it sure looked like mine a lot.

[W_HAMILTON]

15. Check out this story about a U.S. N95 manufacturer awhile back:

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3122174/coronavirus-us-factory-stuck-30-million-n95-masks

It talks about a U.S. company (DemeTech) that has been having problems selling its N95 masks (approved by the CDC and listed on their website) because of its higher prices due to using American workers/raw materials/manufacturing facility etc. but is having to compete against much cheaper (and sometimes fraudulent) Chinese manufacturers.

Here is the website where you can purchase their masks: https://shop.demetech.us/

[BigmanPigman]

17. Thanks, I'll look into it!

[mucifer]

18. $79 for a box of 20 is very reasonable IMO. $4 per mask. Thanks for the link.

[Stuart G]

22. Biden may not have increased the production...but 3M probably did....(3M makes N95 masks)

....I went to a Wall Mart to look for rollers that pick up dust... 3M makes them, & I got lots of dust...So...I see no rollers of any kind through out the store....Why no rollers????
..I figured it out...the company is using its production to make masks...not rollers that
pick up dust..I don't know if that is correct, but it makes sense to me. The 95 masks are far more important than rollers
that pick up dust...Both the masks and rollers use a special paper product that 3M probably manufactures.. So..............
....make masks ......not rollers.....the paper stuff goes for the ...masks not the rollers..

[BigmanPigman]

23. I wasn't aware of this.

3M is the real deal. Thanks for the info!