COVID Is Surging Again. It's Time To Stock Up On Face Masks.

Since the pandemic started, our lives have changed, adjusted and readjusted. But a few things have stayed the same — namely, the fact that it’s a good idea to wear face masks in large crowds when the virus is surging .

If you need a refresher on the types of masks out there, know that KN95 masks are held to China’s standard and can be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while N95 masks are tested rigorously by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

According to the CDC, some respirator masks sold in the U.S. are counterfeit and do not meet NIOSH requirements, so y ou’ll want to make sure that your N95 and KN95 masks have the correct approvals.

“Those that are not NIOSH-approved simply may not be as effective for a multitude of reasons,” said Jen Caudle , a New Jersey-based family physician and associate professor at Rowan University. “We don’t know how they made the mask or what materials they used.”

The CDC says that the easiest way to determine if the mask you’re eyeing is NIOSH-approved is to search for it on the NIOSH Certified Equipment List . All NIOSH-approved respirators have a testing and certification approval number that must be printed on the items. It will look similar to this: TC 84A-XXXX. Respirator masks that earn NIOSH approval will also have specific labeling printed on the facepiece .

There’s also a running list of counterfeit respirator masks on the market that misrepresent NIOSH approval.

Below are three N95 and KN95 masks that had at one point been approved by either NIOSH or the FDA.

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