[coffeebean]

Other than at Sam's Club, I have not seen the free N95 masks that are supposed to be distributed to everyone who wants them. I was very lucky to obtain three free masks at Sam's Club a few days after the supply was to be available to the public. I've been waiting to see the masks available in drug stores but have not seen any displays for them. Have you seen these N95 masks available anywhere? Where?

[Stu from NYC]

nope

[JSR22]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

Other than at Sam's Club, I have not seen the free N95 masks that are supposed to be distributed to everyone who wants them. I was very lucky to obtain three free masks at Sam's Club a few days after the supply was to be available to the public. I've been waiting to see the masks available in drug stores but have not seen any displays for them. Have you seen these N95 masks available anywhere? Where?

Winn Dixie 466A

[Buckeyephan]

They had them at Winn-Dixie at Sumter this afternoon with a limit of 3 per customer. They seemed sort of cheaply made from a compressed paper-like material. They are piled into a bin and not sterile at all.

[thelegges]

Will let those who have to spend most of their waking hours working with the public. They need them far more than me.

[JMintzer]

How long do they expect 3 masks to last?

[Michael G.]

Walmart had free mask today

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Buckeyephan

They had them at Winn-Dixie at Sumter this afternoon with a limit of 3 per customer. They seemed sort of cheaply made from a compressed paper-like material. They are piled into a bin and not sterile at all.

I don't expect the masks to be sterile but at least "clean". The masks I got at Sam's Club are made by 3M and are packaged individually.

[Buckeyephan]

The ones at Winn-Dixie were made by Honeywell. They were nested together in unwrapped stacks. To get three, you had reach in the pile, take a stack and pull three away from the others. I’ll pass on wearing them.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

How long do they expect 3 masks to last?

If washable quite awhile unless you have to wear it all day

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The 3M N95 masks are each good for up to 5 full-time uses before they should be discarded. Obviously if you choose to wear lipstick and foundation under the mask, or eat a really greasy pizza right before putting the mask back on, or sweat a lot while wearing it, it won't last as long.

If you wear a surgical mask under the N95 mask (some people do) then it'll probably last even longer than 5 uses.

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

If washable quite awhile unless you have to wear it all day

Not a washable product. Prior to Covid N95s were worn for TB cases then discarded in special bag after case.

By June of 2020 N95s were worn for 1 day, in the OR, then bagged with your info, sent off site to a company for sterilization. Then returned in a sealed sterile bag. How or if they were processed no one knew.

Most just wore same mask until a new one acquired, lack of inventory.

So healthcare workers wore same mask exposed to one on one contact Covid patients for up to 16 hours multiple days.

The general public should have no problem wearing them for multiple hours, multiple days. You don’t see many healthcare workers leaving their work place wearing a N95.

[toeser]

It is too bad N-95 masks were not made more available many, many months ago. A large study out of a university in Denmark showed that ordinary cloth masks are virtually useless in stopping the spread of COVID.

[me4vt]

#1 nothing is FREE…………… #2 Mask are for Sheep that need lead and can’t find their own way!

Originally Posted by coffeebean

Other than at Sam's Club, I have not seen the free N95 masks that are supposed to be distributed to everyone who wants them. I was very lucky to obtain three free masks at Sam's Club a few days after the supply was to be available to the public. I've been waiting to see the masks available in drug stores but have not seen any displays for them. Have you seen these N95 masks available anywhere? Where?

[frank1975]

Why not just wear a box of masks???? We are 3 years into this and people are now looking for better protection. REALLY??????