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BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:20 AM Jan 2022

White House to distribute 400 million free N95 masks starting next week

Source: Washington Post

The Biden administration plans to distribute 400 million high-quality N95 masks for adults free of charge at thousands of pharmacies and other locations starting next week, a White House official said. With the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus spurring record levels of infections and hospitalizations, public health experts have repeatedly said masking, especially with superior-quality products, is an important tool to control spread of the airborne virus.

The distribution of the masks is the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history, said the White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement. The N95 masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile and will be given out at tens of thousands of pharmacies and federal community health centers, the same locations where Americans have received their vaccinations. U.S. officials are starting to ship masks at the end of this week.

The masks will be available at pharmacies and community health centers late next week. The program will be fully up and running by early February. There will be three masks available per adult. Also, “we anticipate making additional, high-quality masks for children available in the near future,” the official said.N95 and KN95s are known as respirators that filter out most virus particles — and come with markings to indicate they are authentic. Both types of masks must form a seal to the face to work properly. The announcement comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided its most explicit guidance to date Friday on the protection offered by masks.

Well-fitting respirators, such as the N95 products that are approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “offer the highest level of protection” at reducing the spread of the virus, compared with cloth coverings and other masks. The United States has more than 750 million N95 masks in the stockpile. Unlike earlier in the pandemic when severe shortages of personal protective equipment affected hospitals, forcing hospital staff to make homemade face shields and use bandannas, an ample supply of high-quality masks exists for health-care workers, officials said. Those masks are also widely available to the public online and in stores.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01/19/free-n95-masks/



Better to do a "turnover" of what is in the strategic reserve and eventually replace with newer ones rather than have them sit and dry rot!
29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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White House to distribute 400 million free N95 masks starting next week (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 OP
Would have been more beneficial to send them with the test kits jimfields33 Jan 2022 #1
The problem with that is BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #10
I like this better. I can afford to buy them and community centers can get them to the people in mucifer Jan 2022 #12
This makes zero sense to me as well. cinematicdiversions Jan 2022 #20
Because there are over half a million "known" transient (homeless) in the U.S. BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #23
What! I had to pay for mine! WHAAAAAA! Just kidding, but if the RWer's had bought any masks, brewens Jan 2022 #2
Great idea! SheltieLover Jan 2022 #3
I doubt it ...... Lovie777 Jan 2022 #4
As if they even have functional minds SheltieLover Jan 2022 #5
I remember when people kept bugging tfg about the stockpile BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #15
And he is going to have C-19 test kits out soon too. Botany Jan 2022 #6
signed up yesterday for my order, and my neighbors, family and friends. msfiddlestix Jan 2022 #9
lets not rush into anything here Blues Heron Jan 2022 #7
Remember the pandemic was supposed to be "over" ("endemic" ) BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #11
True Blues Heron Jan 2022 #14
I am too - especially because it will force keeping that stockpile refreshed BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #16
I was expecting this very early on in President Biden's administration. mucifer Jan 2022 #8
He couldn't even get his adminstration transitioned on time thanks to tfg BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #13
It shouldn't take a year to decide to send out N95s in a pandemic. I would criticize a republican mucifer Jan 2022 #17
As I posted to the person above BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #19
So how long can one use a N-95 mask? radicalleft Jan 2022 #18
I saw some posts on DU that had some ballpark recommendations BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #21
Thanks for the info! radicalleft Jan 2022 #22
You're welcome BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #24
So I get one Igel Jan 2022 #28
Since these are supposedly being distributed by pharmacies, etc BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #29
Which Republikkkan governors have sued to stop this, so far? Orrex Jan 2022 #25
N95 masks are supposed to be fitted to each person's face in order to work properly Roland99 Jan 2022 #26
The "medical grade" ones yes BumRushDaShow Jan 2022 #27

jimfields33

(15,479 posts)
1. Would have been more beneficial to send them with the test kits
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:26 AM
Jan 2022

Now people will have to find a location, get there early and hope they still have them and find transportation as well.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
10. The problem with that is
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:57 AM
Jan 2022

that the "stockpile" where those items are being kept are only in certain "secret" locations that are most likely different from where the pallets of test kit components are (where the latter were sent to postal distribution locations).

A couple of good articles on that stockpile and its history (thanks to Pres. Bill Clinton) -

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/27/483069862/inside-a-secret-government-warehouse-prepped-for-health-catastrophes

https://www.businessinsider.com/strategic-national-stockpile-location-items-inside-history-size-2020-4

It would take too long to try to gather and ship stuff to the postal distributors to then send out. This way, people can get to a local pharmacy or touch base with a social services org, to get some. Many of those orgs actually have "pop up" locations in neighborhoods that lack good transportation options, that offer testing and vaccines, so they can now distribute masks the same way. And remember, there are many transient people without any "address" so this makes it easier to get something like that to them (via the social services agencies/orgs).

mucifer

(23,374 posts)
12. I like this better. I can afford to buy them and community centers can get them to the people in
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:04 AM
Jan 2022

the more high risk groups.

 

cinematicdiversions

(1,969 posts)
20. This makes zero sense to me as well.
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 11:04 AM
Jan 2022

The last place wants to go to in a pandemic if one can help it is a pharmacy or community center. Why not just mail them like the test kits?????

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
23. Because there are over half a million "known" transient (homeless) in the U.S.
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 11:32 AM
Jan 2022

so what "address" are you going to mail the masks to? The test kit situation is a whole different entity because they are not coming from the stockpile like the masks.

And you do realize the stockpile is not just one location. It's multiple locations and that would then mean sending to what is now a postal operation that is currently working on getting the test kits assembled and shipped (apparently these might not be in "retail" packaging).

There is already a "testing" and vaccine infrastructure out there to distribute masks to (the big chain pharmacies, the county health department social services offices, and established public/private social service organizations). At this point, masks (including N95s/KN95s) don't have as much of a shortage as the tests.

brewens

(13,400 posts)
2. What! I had to pay for mine! WHAAAAAA! Just kidding, but if the RWer's had bought any masks,
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:27 AM
Jan 2022

that's what we'd be hearing. I think I have enough, if I don't, it's gonna really suck. I don't go through them very fast because I don't go in any public buildings unless forced to.

So, I wear one once every two weeks maybe, then leave it on the console of my truck I drive about once a week. I figure that decontaminates it if it needed it. 50 should last a long time.

SheltieLover

(57,073 posts)
3. Great idea!
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:28 AM
Jan 2022

I agree to keep stockpile fresh!

Who knows, if free, perhaps magats who hate gubmint handouts might use them?

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
15. I remember when people kept bugging tfg about the stockpile
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:16 AM
Jan 2022

Last edited Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)

and when they finally went in there to start shipping stuff out, they found much of the stored PPE (including the masks) that they were sending to the states/hospitals, were unusable.

County received 5,000 rotted masks from national stockpile

By KIM CHANDLER April 2, 2020


MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — More than 5,000 medical masks that Montgomery County received from the national stockpile were rotted, the local emergency management director said Thursday. States and cities are receiving shipments from the National Strategic Stockpile to try to relieve shortages in medical equipment because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Christi Thornton, the city/county emergency management director, said the shipment of 5,880 procedure masks received last week were unusable because of dry rot. The masks had a 2010 expiration date, according to the city’s response to a survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Thornton said they received a replacement shipment Wednesday. Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, said Wednesday that he is extraordinarily concerned about hospitals’ dwindling levels of personal protective equipment. He said hospitals are measuring their supplies “in terms of days, not weeks.”

(snip)

Jones, noting the problem with the rotten masks shipped to Montgomery, said he is concerned national stockpile shipments have been inadequate and states are in a “hunger games” competition, bidding against each other for private purchases.

https://apnews.com/article/emergency-management-health-virus-outbreak-don-williamson-montgomery-2b1c7d508dbee187aba31b675f8c5685


So they definitely need to keep it moving in there.

Botany

(70,295 posts)
6. And he is going to have C-19 test kits out soon too.
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:43 AM
Jan 2022

Grown ups are back!

Best President of my lifetime. If he wants to run again he will win in a landslide.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
11. Remember the pandemic was supposed to be "over" ("endemic" )
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:04 AM
Jan 2022

by end of summer 2020 and after each successive wave.

They finally got the message that it won't be anytime soon.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
16. I am too - especially because it will force keeping that stockpile refreshed
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:19 AM
Jan 2022

I posted this above about the state of the stockpile under tfg early during the pandemic - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2855355

Now is the time to distribute what is there (which finally had been updated) to keep it "current" and "the taxpayer" gets something back for their $$$ (that's how you have to frame it for the 'cons).

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
13. He couldn't even get his adminstration transitioned on time thanks to tfg
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:08 AM
Jan 2022


He has only been in office for one day less than a year.

YES it "feels like" he has been in "for years" (maybe because he was a VP for 8 years and people are somehow transposing those memories with now).

But his ONE YEAR MARK is basically now considering he was inaugurated January 20, 2021.

mucifer

(23,374 posts)
17. It shouldn't take a year to decide to send out N95s in a pandemic. I would criticize a republican
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:23 AM
Jan 2022

president if they waited a year. I feel I should not give President Biden's administration a pass on it.

I am a nurse who is lucky enough to have plenty of N95s. And I do realize they are more available now than before trump screwed everything up so that is very good.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
19. As I posted to the person above
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 10:49 AM
Jan 2022

remember that all the health officials "assumed" (based on their past experiences) that the pandemic would eventually fade and become "endemic" by the summer or fall of 2020. And the same was claimed after every wave with the nonsense about "herd immunity" and then after the vaccines became available.

That didn't happen. Humans are infallible and as a former chemist myself, I understand the issues of being "too certain" about something.

And I also posted to a different reply about the state of the stockpile - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2855355

So since so much in there had been "old" and was eventually sent out to states/hospitals, etc., they had to slowly replenish it. And the "stockpile" is not just one location. It is in multiple locations and had to be assessed once they got the tfg lackies out so they could even get a good idea of what the state of it was.

And you also answered your own question -

And I do realize they are more available now than before


There was a time when states were competing to get PPE and the federal government was in the midst of that too. So it is apparent that once Biden invoked the Defense Production Act BACK LAST JANUARY, that things were set in motion and they are finally ready to move -

President Biden to use Defense Production Act for masks, vaccines


By Nicole Wetsman Jan 21, 2021, 3:40pm EST


President Joe Biden will direct federal agencies to use the Defense Production Act to ramp up the supply of masks, testing kits, and vaccine materials. The action is part of a blitz of executive orders Biden has issued during his first few days in office. “We’ve already identified suppliers and are working with them to move the plan forward,” Biden said in a briefing today.

The administration hopes the DPA can accelerate vaccine production. The plan highlights the need for more vials that hold the vaccine doses, syringes to deliver it, and dry ice critical to their transport. “We’ll do whatever we need to do to ensure that we have an adequate supply of vaccine,” said Tim Manning, Biden’s COVID-19 supply coordinator.

The administration will also direct the act to target masks and personal protective equipment (PPE). Shortages of these products aren’t quite as dire as they were early on in the pandemic, but health care workers are still in need of more N95 masks, which protect the wearer in high-risk situations like when treating COVID-19 patients.

Increasing production of masks could also improve protection for the general public. Most Americans are still wearing cloth masks. Those types of masks can help blunt the spread of the virus, but they aren’t as effective as surgical or N95s. Other countries are making medical-grade masks mandatory. As the more contagious coronavirus strain starts to spread in the US, experts worry cloth masks won’t offer enough protection.


https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/21/22242472/biden-defense-production-act-covid-vaccine-mask


You don't get up there and promise something unless you are certain you can deliver it. That's why they did that "soft launch" on the test kits yesterday because as I read in the local paper here in Philly, they had already started a "pilot" with the USPS here and had shipped out pallets of components.

USPS reaches agreement to deliver COVID-19 test kits, with Philly part of pilot program

Postal workers at 43 facilities across the United States, including Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, will build and label millions of testing kits for mail delivery.

by Ellie Rushing
Updated 2 hours ago

The White House and U.S. Postal Service have finalized plans for a pilot program to deliver 500 million coronavirus testing kits to American households, according to an agreement between the USPS and American Postal Workers Union. Postal workers at 43 facilities across the United States, including Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, will build and label millions of testing kits for mail delivery, according to the agreement.

President Joe Biden's administration has built a website, covidtests.org, where, beginning Jan. 19, each American household can request up to four testing kits to be delivered. The site, which launched Friday, says "the tests will be completely free -- there are no shipping costs and you don't need to enter a credit card number."

Andy Kubat, president of the Lehigh Valley area APWU, who was on a union teleconference call Thursday when plans for the program were presented, said it's anticipated the USPS could deliver upward of 2 million kits per day. "I heard some offices are reporting there are pallets of kits already there, or at least components of the kits," Kubat said.

In Philadelphia, the tests will be stored, built, and shipped out of a nearly 120,000-square-foot warehouse in Upper Chichester Township in Delaware County, which the USPS leased in November for five years for package overflow, said Philly APWU Local 89 president Nick Casselli. Casselli said he expects to get more information about the plans and shipments of the kits on Friday. The pilot program will last 75 days from Jan. 12, according to the agreement, which was signed Wednesday by national APWU president Mark Diamondstein and USPS vice president of labor relations Katherine Attridge.

https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/covid-test-kits-usps-philadelphia-20220113.html


As a now-retired fed, I know it's the "national logistics" stuff and "leveraging" that is critical for any large scale endeavor such as this and it was done in a remarkably short period of time considering they had to start from zero after 4 years of obstruction, neglect, and dismantling.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
21. I saw some posts on DU that had some ballpark recommendations
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 11:13 AM
Jan 2022

and CDC has some (complicated) guidance on it - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html

A simplified (consolidated) version of that is here -

Are N95 and KN95 masks reusable and how should you store them?


Gabriela Miranda
USA TODAY
Published 4:30 p.m. ET Jan. 12, 2022 | Updated 8:15 p.m. ET Jan. 14, 2022


As more and more health experts urge Americans to swap their cloth masks for either a N95 or KN95 mask, others are explaining how often to reuse the single mask. Omicron is far more transmissible than other known coronavirus variants even through thick fabric face masks. More people are purchasing surgical or N95 masks as health experts Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech told NPR, "Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron."

Although N95 and KN95 masks were created for single use, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people can get several uses out of the masks. So just how many times can you reuse your mask and what's the best way to store and clean them?

Can you reuse N95 and KN95 masks?

CDC guidelines recommend wearing your N95 and KN95 mask for no more than five uses, however, some experts offered tips on how to prolong your mask wear and keep them clean. Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, a physician who specializes in infectious diseases with OhioHealth told USA TODAY he recommends each person purchase a pack of N95's and rotate when they wear each mask. "If you're rotating your masks, washing your hands and storing them well, you can get five to a little bit more uses with them," Gastaldo said. Gastaldo said sanitizing your hands before touching the mask is crucial and storing them outside or "in heat" will help keep the mask dry and clean.

Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center, echoed Gastaldo's recommendation. “For an N95, we’d recommend you switch (the mask) every day,” Assoumou told USA TODAY. “But, you can rotate them. If you have three masks, (for example), you could number them and switch them around.” Assoumou added you can catch signs of when to throw out your N95 or KN95 mask such as “fraying, stretched out straps or a deterioration of the mask.” The CDC said each time you wear and take off your N95 mask the straps weaken and eventually they won't be able to “generate enough force to create a tight seal with the face.”

(snip)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/01/12/kn-95-n-95-masks-reuse-storage/9188940002/


I think one of the caveats with this is where you are (and for how long) with respect to exposure. So for example, I will be heading out to the post office to drop some mail inside the lobby slot (less than 1 minute in there) and then will be going to the supermarket (and will hopefully be in there not more than maybe 30 minutes). So with short exposures, I would expect to be able to get more "uses" out of mine versus someone who is in an indoors worksite or in a school where they are wearing it all day (for hours).

And even with short trips, if the venue is crowded/jammed without active social-distancing, then the number of re-uses would potentially be less despite the short exposure time just due to the number of people around you.

Hope this makes some sense!

radicalleft

(478 posts)
22. Thanks for the info!
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 11:21 AM
Jan 2022

I appreciate the Biden admins efforts, but 400M masks, really won't last beyond a month...

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
24. You're welcome
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 11:54 AM
Jan 2022

And at this point, it's a start. Not everyone is out "in the public" all day every day. There are still many who are working at home. I sure as hell am not out there and am fortunate to be retired and am not a go go go go go person who MUST be out every single day or I will die (like some of my retired neighbors who get stir crazy).

Also note that the total population of the U.S. is 330 million but about 73 million are under 18. These masks might fit okay on children/adolescents 12 and up but under that age, they might be too big, so not every mask is going to go to every single American.

You also have some 2 million in prisons and almost as many in hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term medical facilities. So that is another group who would already have access to masks from medical providers at those locations. Plus you have some corporations who have actually done the right thing and bought PPE for their employees who have to work onsite. You also have local/state/federal government employees, who make up over 20 million employees where there is a "deep pocket" to get masks to those employees who must be onsite.

Then you have many of us who already have a stash so wouldn't need a "free" one right away either. So the number that actually get distributed to those who really need them is going to be much less than 400 million every month.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
29. Since these are supposedly being distributed by pharmacies, etc
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 09:36 PM
Jan 2022

and since I don't know how much tracking (if any) that those locations plan to do when giving them out, then I expect you could get more at different places.

This is just the initial distribution which are being taken them from the National stockpile. Biden invoked the DPA a year ago with one of his day one EOs to have more made (which helped to replenish that stockpile and get them to the medical personnel in hospital facilities that were in dire need). I expect they will continue to make them available as the production should be ramped up at this point.

And how often you need to discard them will depend on how long you are wearing it. If you are in one all day, then that will probably only get a few uses at most (where it is recommended to let it "air out" for a day or so). But if you are only using them for maybe an hour or 2 a couple days a week or once a week, then you can use it more often. I was just at the store and post office earlier today and was on my 4th use of one over a 3 week period, with 3 of the uses being no more than about 2 hours or so each use and one use when I had been at my sister's house for an extended time helping to get my niece's printer up and running (so probably about 3 hours). I just discarded it today. I have a pack of 20 N95s that I got over the summer (and have some K95s that I got as Christmas presents last year).

Roland99

(53,342 posts)
26. N95 masks are supposed to be fitted to each person's face in order to work properly
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 02:40 PM
Jan 2022

But, even if not, I'm sure is better than a good chunk of masks in use out there.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
27. The "medical grade" ones yes
Wed Jan 19, 2022, 02:47 PM
Jan 2022

but with the shortages, even many medical facilities had been unable to obtain that highest level type.

The medical grade respirators are really for those who work in hospital/clinical/laboratory settings with a known high concentration of pathogens. The average person is not really going to be in that type of environment hour after hour and day after day.

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