Not Enough Face Masks Are Made In America To Deal With Coronavirus
4 years, 10 months ago

Not Enough Face Masks Are Made In America To Deal With Coronavirus

NPR  

Not Enough Face Masks Are Made In America To Deal With Coronavirus Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Pennington/Getty Images Tom Pennington/Getty Images Mike Bowen's been a very busy man. Sponsor Message Bowen is at the center of a major problem that the coronavirus has made crystal clear: There aren't enough domestic manufacturers for critical medical supplies such as face masks. "The surgical mask supply went from being 90% U.S.-made to being 95% foreign-made in literally one year," Bowen says. Steven Adams, the stockpile's acting director, says the government now realizes it needs more mask factories in the U.S. "Coronavirus has made the theoretical risks seem far more real, I think, to most of us," he says.

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I'm an A&E doctor and this is why it's time to start wearing masks again... as experts issue dire warnings over a virulent new Covid variant
1 year ago

I'm an A&E doctor and this is why it's time to start wearing masks again... as experts issue dire warnings over a virulent new Covid variant

Daily Mail  

It’s that time again. Dr Saleyha Ahsan says she always wears a mask in crowded places Now one of the UK’s leading experts, Sir Andrew Pollard, who is a professor of infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, is predicting ‘a rise in infections in the population over the course of the next week’, driven by a highly infectious …

States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire
1 year ago

States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire

Associated Press  

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., many states like Ohio scrambled for masks and other protective gear. Now, “states, hospitals, manufacturers – everybody in the whole system -- has extra product,” said Linda Rouse O’Neill of the Health Industry Distributors Association. Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told local lawmakers in May that officials would focus on …

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.
1 year, 4 months ago

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.

LA Times  

Despite rising coronavirus outbreaks across Los Angeles County, officials said they have no plans for new public mask mandates — a sign of how COVID-19 policies have changed in an era of plentiful vaccines, lower death rates and back-to-normal culture. “We have such good tools right now that we really shouldn’t get there.” California COVID outbreaks hit workplaces, schools across …

Return of masks? COVID-19 cases surge; new variant ‘Pirola’ causes concern
1 year, 4 months ago

Return of masks? COVID-19 cases surge; new variant ‘Pirola’ causes concern

Live Mint  

COVID-19 cases in the United States have surged to levels reminiscent of the peak experienced last winter, causing concerns over the emergence of a new highly mutated variant known as "Pirola" BA.2.86 and the impending respiratory virus season. Dr. Georges Benjamin, the Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, highlights that masking remains a potent tool for mitigating COVID-19 …

Mask mania sweeps America... AGAIN: Rutgers University in New Jersey and hospital in upstate NY become latest to make face coverings compulsory - but TSA tells Daily Mail that Covid mandates WON'T ret
1 year, 4 months ago

Mask mania sweeps America... AGAIN: Rutgers University in New Jersey and hospital in upstate NY become latest to make face coverings compulsory - but TSA tells Daily Mail that Covid mandates WON'T ret

Daily Mail  

Covid masks are creeping back into American life again with hospitals, Hollywood studios and colleges mandating their use — and there are rumors they could return on planes. Rutgers University in New Jersey today announced face coverings will be compulsory for staff and students on its campuses, following a similar announcement by Morris Brown College in Atlanta earlier this week. …

Now Hollywood brings mask mandates back! Lionsgate studios which makes Saw and Hunger Games franchises asks office staff to don face coverings and test again - as Covid hospital rates rise for fifth w
1 year, 4 months ago

Now Hollywood brings mask mandates back! Lionsgate studios which makes Saw and Hunger Games franchises asks office staff to don face coverings and test again - as Covid hospital rates rise for fifth w

Daily Mail  

Has YOUR workplace reintroduced face masks? Get in touch: [email protected] They are also requiring employees to test themselves before going to the office A major Hollywood studio has reintroduced Covid mask mandates amid fears about rising virus rates and a new highly mutated variant. Lionsgate — best known for its horror franchise Saw and The Hunger Games — is asking …

Column: COVID lab leak? Mask mandates? Why are we still having these fights?
1 year, 10 months ago

Column: COVID lab leak? Mask mandates? Why are we still having these fights?

LA Times  

On Monday, the White House announced there is no consensus in the Biden administration about whether COVID-19 sprang from a leak in a virus laboratory in China or was the result of a leap from another species to humans. I reserve my anger for the way the government under former President Trump bungled its response to the disease, the way …

Wearing masks did ’little to nothing’ to help curb Covid spread, study reveals
1 year, 10 months ago

Wearing masks did ’little to nothing’ to help curb Covid spread, study reveals

Live Mint  

Face masks have done ‘little to nothing’ to curb the Covid-19 transmission, a new scientific review titled “Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses” suggested. It conducted research on the findings of 78 randomized controlled trials to find out whether the physical interventions, including face masks and hand wash, limited the spread of respiratory diseases. “Wearing …

Masks made little or no difference in Covid-19 spread, new study suggests
1 year, 10 months ago

Masks made little or no difference in Covid-19 spread, new study suggests

India TV News  

A new review led by 12 researchers from universities around the world has examined whether wearing face masks helped prevent the spread of Covid-19. According to the study published by the Cochrane Library, "Wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference" in controlling the spread of Covid-19. However, it's important to note that the review included studies …

Face mask supplier ordered to pay back €43 million for faulty masks will appeal
1 year, 11 months ago

Face mask supplier ordered to pay back €43 million for faulty masks will appeal

NL Times  

Face mask supplier O2 Health intends to appeal against the Alkmaar court's verdict ordering the company to return more than 43 million euros to the government. The company's owner, Rutger Brest van Kempen, told ANP about the plan to appeal on Thursday, but he did not want to comment on the case. In March 2020, when the coronavirus crisis had …

Amid Covid apprehensions, demand for masks and sanitizers rises
2 years ago

Amid Covid apprehensions, demand for masks and sanitizers rises

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: Amid fears of a surge in Covid cases in the next 40 days, people have started buying sanitizers and masks. “It is only since the last one week that people have started buying masks and sanitizers. Although we have sufficient stock, we have placed orders seeing the demands for sanitizers, masks and liquid hand wash,” said Sudarshan B, in …

Health officials are urging masks again amid high COVID, flu levels
2 years ago

Health officials are urging masks again amid high COVID, flu levels

LA Times  

With COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory diseases circulating widely in Los Angeles County and elsewhere, many officials are urging residents to use a familiar tool to help thwart transmission: masks. As case rates rise, “your chance of catching COVID during your routine activities — grocery shopping, eating out, running errands, going to work — will increase,” according to Los …

No Covid restrictions needed yet, Health Min. says as vaccinations open to everyone 12+
2 years, 2 months ago

No Covid restrictions needed yet, Health Min. says as vaccinations open to everyone 12+

NL Times  

Companies and organizations don’t have to take measures against the coronavirus yet but are free to do so if they wish. People between the ages of 40 and 60 can make an appointment next week, and “in principle the week after,” everyone from 12 to 40 can do so, Kuipers said. But according to Kuipers, it is ‘not yet necessary …

A new L.A. mask mandate would have less value at this stage of the pandemic, some experts say
2 years, 5 months ago

A new L.A. mask mandate would have less value at this stage of the pandemic, some experts say

LA Times  

As successive waves of COVID-19 have swept across the Southland, Michael Matteo Rossi, a 35 year-old filmmaker who lives in Los Feliz, has gamely masked up whenever he shopped, ate out or visited with his parents, who are in their 70s. Barbara Ferrer, director of L.A. County Department of Health, announced plans to reinstate an indoor mask mandate if the …

Health experts say COVID-19 complacency has restricted freedoms of the immunocompromised and elderly
2 years, 5 months ago

Health experts say COVID-19 complacency has restricted freedoms of the immunocompromised and elderly

ABC  

From the isolation of her Melbourne home, Carol Davy fights a day-to-day battle against ovarian cancer and systemic lupus. Key points: Australia's COVID hospitalisation rates have spiked back to February highs Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has shot down any reintroduction of mask mandates Health experts say Australia's COVID complacency is leading to higher transmission rates With COVID-19 still casting …

Will everyone in California eventually get coronavirus? What we know
2 years, 6 months ago

Will everyone in California eventually get coronavirus? What we know

LA Times  

With tens of thousands of new coronavirus cases being reported in California each week, it might seem inevitable that everyone will get infected at some point. “The storyline is, ‘Everybody’s gotten it.’ But the reality is a lot of people haven’t,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert. “Everyone needs to be vigilant to avoid exposure and …

With California hit by new coronavirus wave, time to start wearing masks? Limit gatherings?
2 years, 7 months ago

With California hit by new coronavirus wave, time to start wearing masks? Limit gatherings?

LA Times  

As California contends with another resurgence of the coronavirus, what should residents consider doing to protect themselves from infection? “With all of the unknowns around these new variants, it is sensible to take the simple step of putting back on the mask when you’re indoors,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director. But regardless of a region’s level, “individuals …

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 7 months ago

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States — and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC …

L.A. coronavirus hospitalizations start rising again; officials urge mask-wearing
2 years, 7 months ago

L.A. coronavirus hospitalizations start rising again; officials urge mask-wearing

LA Times  

Los Angeles County’s coronavirus-positive hospitalizations are rising again, causing health officials to urge residents to put masks back on if they have stopped doing so. It’s more lax guidance than that issued by L.A. County and California health officials, who have strongly recommended continued use of masks in indoor public settings since mandatory mask orders ended. L.A. County is still …

We lack research data on how masks help us keep covid away
2 years, 8 months ago

We lack research data on how masks help us keep covid away

Live Mint  

After a judge overturned a mandate of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requiring US airline passengers to wear masks aboard aircraft, transport security systems stopped enforcing masking at airports. While science has brought us great advances in pharmaceutical interventions such as vaccines and covid treatments, it’s provided little new information about the value of non-pharmaceutical interventions such …

CDC to extend travel mask requirement for 2 weeks, source says
2 years, 8 months ago

CDC to extend travel mask requirement for 2 weeks, source says

LA Times  

The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transit as it monitors an uptick in coronavirus cases, according to a person familiar with the matter. Critics have seized on the fact that states have rolled back rules requiring masks in restaurants, stores and other indoor settings, and yet coronavirus cases have fallen sharply since …

Efforts to make protective medical gear in US falling flat
2 years, 8 months ago

Efforts to make protective medical gear in US falling flat

Associated Press  

— When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. “At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobody’s buying, not even the state,” said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only …

More coronavirus rules may go, despite rise in new infections: AD
2 years, 10 months ago

More coronavirus rules may go, despite rise in new infections: AD

Dutch News  

Government health advisors on the Outbreak Management Team will meet at the end of this week to discuss lifting the final coronavirus restrictions in operation in the Netherlands. The number of new coronavirus cases reached a three-week high at the weekend, following the Carnaval celebrations and the February half-term holidays and the number of new infections hit almost 67,000 in …

More coronavirus rules may go, despite rise in new infections: AD
2 years, 10 months ago

More coronavirus rules may go, despite rise in new infections: AD

Dutch News  

Government health advisors on the Outbreak Management Team will meet at the end of this week to discuss lifting the final coronavirus restrictions in operation in the Netherlands. The number of new coronavirus cases reached a three-week high at the weekend, following the Carnaval celebrations and the February half-term holidays and the number of new infections hit almost 67,000 in …

These KN95 COVID Face Masks Are Half Off Right Now
2 years, 10 months ago

These KN95 COVID Face Masks Are Half Off Right Now

Huff Post  

Amazon Get this box of 60 KN95 masks for half off on Amazon. These contoured KN95 masks feature a five-layer design, which the manufacturer claims can block 95% or more of airborne particles in varying sizes. An adjustable noseband and soft, flexible ear elastics help keep masks secure and provide a customizable fit. It’s worth mentioning that although the National …

Coronavirus Today: To mask or not to mask
2 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus Today: To mask or not to mask

LA Times  

I’m Karen Kaplan, and it’s Tuesday, March 1. Either way, Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s health and human services secretary, wants you to know that the decision was “driven by the data and the science.” That includes coronavirus case numbers, which are now averaging about 33,000 cases per day. The new state rules come with an important caveat: Local health officials …

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC
2 years, 10 months ago

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s March 21 date to lift the statewide mask mandate remains in place for now as state officials review new guidance Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says people in most places can safely take a break from wearing facial coverings. Jay Inslee, said in an email Friday that the office has not …

Florida’s new coronavirus guidance: ‘Buck the CDC’
2 years, 10 months ago

Florida’s new coronavirus guidance: ‘Buck the CDC’

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Thursday announced new coronavirus policy recommendations that discourage mask-wearing and push physicians to use off-label medications to treat the virus. “We are empowering health care practitioners to follow science, not Fauci’s status quo.” The announcement came a day before President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to …

New US COVID guidelines allow most Americans to go mask-free
2 years, 10 months ago

New US COVID guidelines allow most Americans to go mask-free

Al Jazeera  

New US coronavirus masking policy is broken down into three risk categories based on hospital capacity and cases. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dramatically eased its COVID-19 guidelines for when people should wear masks indoors, a move that means 72 percent of the US population will reside in communities where indoor face coverings are no …

Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. With mask mandates going away, is that helpful?
2 years, 10 months ago

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

NPR  

Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. Sponsor Message So a number of people are "one-way maskers" — the terms used for those who mask up even if others around them do not. "One-way masking isn't doing that," says Kristen Coleman, an assistant research professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. "It just means that it doesn't offer …

California offers cautious blueprint forward as COVID wanes, mask orders ease
2 years, 10 months ago

California offers cautious blueprint forward as COVID wanes, mask orders ease

LA Times  

California’s newly announced pandemic plan calls for flexibility as new variants surge and fall. “The date will be well within a period of time that, I think, will do justice to the needs to keep people confident that their children are being prioritized and healthy and safe; at the same time, to accommodate the understanding that we’re trying to promote …

Companies revert to more normal operations as COVID wanes
2 years, 10 months ago

Companies revert to more normal operations as COVID wanes

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — For the first time in two years for many people, the American workplace is transforming into something that resembles pre-pandemic days. That’s a stark reversal from just weeks ago when the omicron variant of COVID-19 was peaking, prompting companies to double-down on mask requirements and enforce daily health screenings while delaying return-to-office plans for remote workers. Brian …

Why California is hoping people keep wearing masks even as coronavirus cases fall
2 years, 10 months ago

Why California is hoping people keep wearing masks even as coronavirus cases fall

LA Times  

Many health experts are strongly recommending the public still wear masks even as the state lifted its order requiring them to be worn in indoor public spaces for vaccinated people. Even as California begins to loosen its mask requirements, some top health officials are strongly recommending the public still wear face coverings, saying the state’s earlier pandemic experiences illustrate the …

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance
2 years, 10 months ago

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance

LA Times  

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, shown testifying before Congress in November, told reporters on Wednesday that her agency would soon issue new guidance on mask-wearing. Federal health officials said Wednesday that they will soon update their guidance on mask wearing, even as several states have recently dialed back mandates requiring people to wear face coverings while indoors. In a White …

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US
2 years, 10 months ago

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US

Associated Press  

As the omicron wave of the coronavirus subsides, several U.S. states including Nevada, New York and Illinois ended mask mandates this week for indoor settings, while others lifted requirements at schools. Steve Sisolak said the requirement for masks in public places would be lifted “effective immediately.” State casino regulators quickly followed with an order eliminating the mandate for casinos “unless …

California will lift mask mandate for vaccinated residents in indoor public places next week
2 years, 11 months ago

California will lift mask mandate for vaccinated residents in indoor public places next week

LA Times  

Masks will still be required for unvaccinated residents indoors and for everyone in select settings such as hospitals and nursing homes or while aboard public transit. With the Omicron coronavirus surge rapidly receding, California will lift its universal mask mandate for indoor public places next week, state officials announced Monday. While this move doesn’t mean face coverings will be a …

Covid: How well do face masks protect us against the virus?
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid: How well do face masks protect us against the virus?

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Biden to give away 400 million N95 masks starting next week
2 years, 11 months ago

Biden to give away 400 million N95 masks starting next week

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. President Joe Biden embraced the initiative after facing mounting criticism this month over the inaccessibility — both in supply and …

Free N95 masks to be made available at pharmacies, White House says
2 years, 11 months ago

Free N95 masks to be made available at pharmacies, White House says

Live Mint  

BY SABRINA SIDDIQUI | UPDATED JAN 19, 2022 05:00 AM EST Distribution of 400 million masks comes as the Biden administration is also offering free rapid tests to combat the spread of Covid-19 The Biden administration on Wednesday is expected to announce plans to make 400 million N95 masks available free at pharmacies and community health centers across the country, …

White House to distribute 400 million N95 masks for free, starting next week
2 years, 11 months ago

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

LA Times  

The Biden administration plans to start distributing next week millions of N95 masks, like the one nurse Lindsay Bowker is shown wearing in Kirkland, Wash. The Biden administration plans to distribute 400 million high-quality masks to Americans for free starting next week in the hopes of offering better protection against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the White House announced …

Joe Biden to give away 400 million N95 masks starting next week
2 years, 11 months ago

Joe Biden to give away 400 million N95 masks starting next week

India TV News  

Highlights 400 million N95 masks will be available for free to Americans starting next week. The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. The White House said the masks will be …

CDC Acknowledges Cloth Masks Are Less Effective Than Others
2 years, 11 months ago

CDC Acknowledges Cloth Masks Are Less Effective Than Others

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conceded Friday that cloth masks are less effective than surgical or respirator masks as protection against COVID-19. “Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators offer the highest level …

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks
2 years, 11 months ago

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks

LA Times  

Registered nurse Scott McGieson wears an N95 mask as he walks out of a patient’s room in the acute care unit of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Friday. U.S. health officials on Friday encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by healthcare workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In updated guidance …

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks
2 years, 11 months ago

CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95 masks

Hindustan Times  

US health officials on Friday encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by health-care workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In updated guidance posted late Friday afternoon, CDC officials removed concerns related to supply shortages and more clearly said that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection. In its …

Biden says his administration will make free high-quality face masks available to all Americans
2 years, 11 months ago

Biden says his administration will make free high-quality face masks available to all Americans

CNN  

Washington CNN — President Joe Biden on Thursday announced his administration would make “high-quality masks” available to Americans for free, as the US struggles to contain the new surge of the Omicron variant and hospitalizations from Covid-19 reach new highs. “I know we all wish could finally be done with wearing masks, I get it, but they are a really …

Best face mask 2022: Reusable coverings you’ll want to wear
2 years, 11 months ago

Best face mask 2022: Reusable coverings you’ll want to wear

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest email Sign up for our free IndyBest email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Fines for failing to wear a face mask are £200 for a first-time …

Big push for Californians to switch to N95 or KN95 masks as Omicron surge worsens
3 years ago

Big push for Californians to switch to N95 or KN95 masks as Omicron surge worsens

LA Times  

Visitors to Chinatown wear masks. And for other activities, this may mean postponing your participation until community transmission is much reduced.” Last month, California’s public health director and health officer, Dr. Tomás Aragón, wrote that with the increasing airborne spread of the coronavirus, it’s important to improve the fit of masks and their filtration — making enhancements that go beyond …

With omicron, you need a mask that means business
3 years ago

With omicron, you need a mask that means business

NPR  

With omicron, you need a mask that means business Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images With another coronavirus variant racing across the U.S., once again health authorities are urging people to mask up indoors. "Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron," says Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia …

California brings back mask mandate as virus cases rise
3 years ago

California brings back mask mandate as virus cases rise

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is bringing back a rule requiring people to wear masks indoors, a move aimed at containing a new type of the coronavirus as people gather with family and friends during the holidays. “That said, this is a critical time where we have a tool that we know has worked and can work.” California lifted its statewide …

New York’s COVID surge is back — and so is its mask mandate
3 years ago

New York’s COVID surge is back — and so is its mask mandate

LA Times  

Kathy Hochul speaks at an event Friday in New York. Hochul said the decision to reinstitute a mask mandate was based on a rising number of cases and hospitalizations, which has been especially pronounced in parts of upstate New York. “We’re entering a time of uncertainty and we could either plateau here or our cases could get out of control,” …

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