N95 masks

[Curling123]

I believe the N95 masks, at least in Ontario I believe are only used by healthcare workers. Don’t see them in stores.

[AussieNeil Administrator]

Before the big coronavirus scare, which currently is hurting people world wide far, far more than the virus, through panic buying, you would probably have been able to buy them from a pharmacist, or at least order them in. Now my local supermarket is warning that liquid soaps are likely to be in short supply! It's sad that a coronavirus scare is necessary to get people properly washing their hands!

I was rationed two masks from the pathology lab centre on request when I went for a blood test - and I'm neutropenic.

Neil

[Hidden in reply to AussieNeil]

amazon sells them.

[Curling123 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. Hoping we don’t need them.

[Hidden in reply to Curling123]

why not order some now before amazon runs out. I looked it up=some sold out but some suppliers on amazon still have them.

[Curling123 in reply to Hidden]

I will do that. Thanks for your help and response. Much appreciated.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to Curling123]

Make sure they are N95 or N99 NIOSH certified! Amazon has lots of masks that sound good, but aren't. Before all of this the masks were stocked in pharmacies here. I also saw them in bulk in building supply stores. Some construction workers and farm workers are required to wear them.

[nucmanchh in reply to Hidden]

$30/mask. That was amazon’s price which seemed high

[nucmanchh in reply to nucmanchh]

I also have heard mask are are not as protective as washing hands. And are better suited for the person already infected with the virus

[BluMts in reply to nucmanchh]

It truly depends on the mask. The ones seen on many people via TV are prob not as much use as a well fitted, N95 Respirator. But they are I'm hearing very hard to find now

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to nucmanchh]

Was that a VOG mask or a regular disposable mask? Outrageous for a disposable mask!

Surgical masks (flat and pleated) are better if someone is sick - with anything contagious - to keep their germs from spreading. They are worthless for someone wanting to not breathe germs in. It is sad to see pictures from around the planet of people wearing them thinking that they are protected.

[Chiro123 in reply to Hidden]

You can't get them until April 16th! Go to hardware stores, they carry them.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to Chiro123]

From where April 16th. I talked to a distributor who said they didn't know when they would be able to distribute them again.

[Chiro123 in reply to MsLockYourPosts]

I don't know from where. It was just on my order as to when they would be shipped. I am okay though. I got a couple from Ace Hardware!

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to Chiro123]

Make sure that the ones from ACE are N95. I saw what looked like them in Von's a couple of days ago, but they weren't certified for germ protection, just dust.

[Curling123 in reply to AussieNeil]

Well if it becomes major, I doubt there will be enough masks to go around. Right now even health care workers are in short supply in hot spot countries. It is a scary virus. Cleaning supplies are short in our stores. Even Amazon will run out eventually. Keep well.

[Ironj]

Buy on E-Bay but look for N99 or N100 masks amazon has increased prices by 10 times the cost from a month ago.

N-95 may not be very effective but better then nothing if needed.

[Curling123 in reply to Ironj]

Thank you Ironj.

[BluMts]

I bought my N95 respirators from amazon. But now are sold out. Seen some around now at crazy prices. I had heard N99 when began researching, but never found anyone who had used them or knew anything about the. Many people use N95's besides care workers or hospitals. People working with noxious fumes use them.

3M make good ones. Give them a call for info. They may even be able to give names of retailers. But I think they seem to be sold out at a reasonable inflated price and now the prices are beyond most of us.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to BluMts]

I called one distributor. They are not distributing any and won't be until ????? I suspect that what is available is being held for health care workers where there is an outbreak.

[BluMts in reply to MsLockYourPosts]

Thanks for telling me.

[PalmettoMiami]

Don't forget you also need protective eye wear. Those safety glasses with covered temples and sides and under eye type goggles will work. The virus easily enters through eyes. I ordered N95 masks early in January when I first heard about it and price was already going up. Bought lots of hand sanitizer then as well. Also alcohol and clorox wipes. Stock up on flu medications, fever reducers, Vitamin C, and if you believe like I do, black elderberry. Do your own research. I already have enough of nonperishables to last at least a month if there is a need for isolation. Even now I am not a fan of going to grocery stores, and if people start to panic, supplies will be gone fast. I live in Florida and even the hint of a hurricane or tropical storm sends people into a frenzy.

[Curling123 in reply to PalmettoMiami]

I am curious Mariposa when you mentioned Black Elderberry. I just heard about it recently advertised on TV, Sambucca, and took the capsules when I had the flu two weeks ago. They seemed to help. Do you take them every day as a preventative and in what form? They are very high in antioxidants.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer]

NB I was surprised to discover, recently, that Clorox wipes do not contain bleach. Getting alcohol and bleach in addition to wipes and gel.

[Cindi73]

I was given them from the hospital back in 2017. When my neutrophils were 0. Still have 1. AussieNeil is right. Due to the panic buying they're on back order. Some are buying them and taking advantage by selling them for much more. I seen the exact one I have selling online for $ 199.00. This is outrageous. This angers me. Wish everyone here the best. Take care. Cindi

[Curling123]

Greed at its worse given that masks can be a preventative. Governments should step in and contract a company to make them at a reasonable cost to stop this excessive purchase gouging.

[studebaker]

My son found them in Canadian Tire. He phoned around the stores and found them and drove 45km to get them.

Dana

[Big_Dee]

Hello Curling123

My wife works at a hospital so I have had endless supply of N95 masks. The 95 stand for the particulate size that the mask filters. I have also bought N95 masks at my national chain hardware stores. I use them for my dust control when doing woodworking, sheet rock sanding and etc. Due to OSHA requirements, many of the manufacturing plants also provide N95 masks to production workers.

[JustAGuy]

It occurs to me that an infected person wearing one of the respirator type masks which have a round valve in the front is not protecting anyone. The round valve is to allow the exhalation to freely escape the mask. Wood workers and the like prefer them since the glasses don't fog up. They only filter what the wearer is inhaling. If a sick person uses one like that to protect people around him, it is not protecting them...

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to JustAGuy]

For those already sick a surgical mask (flat and pleated) is considered better for keeping germs in.

[Marn1]

We have them at Home Depot or Lowe’s ie workers wear them

[skunkbay53]

Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart and saw them at my local Albertsons. Check your home improvement stores.

[Curling123]

Thank you all. Will be out today locating some at these locations.

[Hilomom]

As someone who works at a "big box store" (Target), I can tell you that in our store, anti-viral masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and hand soaps are now gone from our shelves. Many people here tend to panic and freak out and buy a lot of stuff, which is happening as I write this, but they know that anything that could potentially shut down the ports means that we on the outer islands may have to do without.

[DriedSeaweed]

I wonder if some manufacturers allow you to order directly from them.

[lexie]

There were none in my area so last week I traveled to an area where most folks think the coronavirus is a hoax and found masks at Lowes, Walmart and Home Depot. Go figure!

[Leshere]

Not sure if this helps or not but Ncov type viruses are really easy to deactivate. Washing Up liquid at 0.01 % dilution with water is effective. Bleach works but is rather unpleasant. 60% + alcohol works but so does vinegar. SO there are some veery simple ways of keeping surfaces clean. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...