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Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. With mask mandates going away, is that helpful?

Malaka Gharib/NPR

Goats and Soda

Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. With mask mandates going away, is that helpful?

February 25, 2022 • Even as mask mandates on transportation and public spaces are being lifted, some folks still want to mask up to reduce the risk of a coronavirus infection. Here's a guide to one-way masking.

Free N95 masks are arriving at pharmacies and grocery stores. Here's how to get yours

Linsey Jones, a medical assistant working at a drive-up coronavirus testing clinic, wears an N95 mask on Jan. 4 in Puyallup, Wash. The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting this week. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption

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Ted S. Warren/AP

Health

Free N95 masks are arriving at pharmacies and grocery stores. Here's how to get yours

January 25, 2022 • Some retailers are starting to get the first wave of the 400 million free masks being distributed by the federal government. Every person is allowed to receive up to three masks.

With omicron, you need a mask that means business

A firefighter tests the seal on his N95 mask at the start of his shift in Glen Burnie, Md. With the spread of omicron, experts say to wear high-filtration respirators in public indoor spaces for the best protection. Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Shots - Health News

With omicron, you need a mask that means business

December 23, 2021 • To block a variant this transmissible, scientists say you need an N95 or other high-filtration mask. Here's how to find a good one and when to wear it.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

15 Million N95s Without A Buyer

March 30, 2021 • The start of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an N95 mask shortage. Now there's still a shortage, but many American mask manufacturers can't sell their masks. We break down the reasons why.

15 Million N95s Without A Buyer

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A User's Guide To Masks: What's Best At Protecting Others (And Yourself)

Left to right: a neck gaiter (aka a buff) that slips over the head; a KN95 respirator, a version of the N95 respirator used in U.S. hospitals; a pleated surgical mask (below the KN95); a cloth mask. Photo illustration by Max Posner/NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration by Max Posner/NPR

Goats and Soda

A User's Guide To Masks: What's Best At Protecting Others (And Yourself)

July 1, 2020 • They're made of cotton. Or polyester. Or paper. Or polypropylene. Here's what researchers say about the effectiveness of the different types of face masks during this pandemic.