We are still seeing a lot of well-intentioned but outdated articles that claim N95 masks are in short supply and should be reserved for health care workers. While that might have been true in April of 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic first struck, this advice is seriously outdated.

NIOSH-approved N95 and N99 masks are in ample supply these days. Even the medical grade masks which bear an additional FDA certification (for fluid splash resistance) are in ample supply, and a spot check of major hospitals in our region indicated that most have months to years of stock as well as long-term supply contracts.

So don't sell yourself short. If you want the NIOSH-level protection that ear loop dental masks, KN95's, cloth masks and gators can't provide, then get it! On July 18, 2021 former FDA head Scott Gottlieb stated "Quality of mask is going to make a difference with a variant that spreads more aggressively like Delta does, where people are more contagious and exude more virus," he said "Trying to get N95 masks into the hands of vulnerable individuals in places where this is really epidemic I think is going to be important, even in cases where they're vaccinated, if they want to add another layer of protection."

Which is why we proudly offer a wide variety of NIOSH-approved masks. If everyone had worn a mask like this back in 2020 for four weeks, the US would be in a much better position now.