Following the rollout of four free COVID-19 tests for every household, the federal government has now revealed plans to distribute 400 million complimentary N95 masks to Americans.
These masks — which the CDC identifies as offering the strongest protection against the highly transmissible Omicron strain — will be delivered to community health centers and pharmacies and are expected to become available in the coming days and weeks.
How Can I Pick Up My Masks?
The N95s will be stocked at pharmacies and community health centers nationwide. Distribution will occur through the same outlets that participate in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which helped administer COVID-19 vaccines. Participating retailers include CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Costco, Albertsons, among many others.
View the complete list of participating pharmacies.
You’ll need to collect the masks in person, so it’s a good idea to call ahead before you go. Some locations may begin receiving shipments as early as late January, with most sites expected to have supplies by early February across the tens of thousands of participating locations. Each adult in a household will be eligible to receive three masks, according to a White House official.
Other Important Details
- The distributed N95 masks will not be sized for children. However, Politico reports that officials are working toward providing child-sized masks in the future. For guidance on choosing a mask for kids, check out this useful video by Aaron Collins, a mechanical engineer with expertise in aerosols science: Watch Aaron Collins’ video.
- Your N95 generally remains effective for roughly 40 hours of active use, according to Anne Miller of Project 95, who spoke with NPR. She suggests the “brown bag decontamination method”: if you use a mask all day, place it in a brown paper bag for five days to let any viral particles degrade. Using this rotation with the three masks you receive could provide up to 15 days of coverage.
- Be cautious of counterfeit products. If you can’t obtain an N95 directly through the government program, stay vigilant when shopping. The CDC’s guide on identifying fake N95 respirators is a helpful resource. Trusted sellers tend to be larger manufacturers like Armbrust or major retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, Miller said. When purchasing on Amazon, stick with established brands like Kimberly-Clark or 3M.
Samuel Hayes is a senior writer at Savinly.
