The Government will distribute 400 million free N95 masks to the public

The Administration presided over by Joe Biden announced this Wednesday that it will make 400 million N95 masks available to the public for free, a measure designed to contain the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19.

The masks, which will not be for surgical use but will be of high quality, will be available in pharmacies and community centers throughout the country, the federal government announced in a statement.

"To ensure that access to these masks is made convenient and easy, the Administration is leveraging the federal retail pharmacy program and the federal community health center program so that free masks are available at many of the same locations." convenient and reliable places where Americans go to get vaccinated and boosted," the Administration said.

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A nurse puts on a new N95 mask after treating a COVID-19 patient at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington;

on January 14, 2022. Elaine Thompson / AP

The government will start shipping the masks to authorized dealers at the end of this week and they will start to be available to the public from next week.

However,

“This is the largest personal protective equipment deployment in history,” the Biden Administration stated.

Since Biden's arrival at the White House in January 2021, the government has tripled its stock of N95 masks, accumulating a total of 750 million in the Strategic National Stockpile.

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"Today, high-quality masks are widely available for healthcare workers, and high-quality masks are also available to the public for sale online and in stores. To make sure every American has access to them. ... we will make them available for free," the statement said.

During his first day in the White House, Biden issued an executive order requiring all residents of the country to wear face masks in federal government buildings and on transportation such as planes and trains.

Since then, the Government has distributed 30 million masks in community centers and food banks;

as well as more than 20 million masks for health employees and essential workers.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of the mask to the population to prevent the spread of the virus.

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The CDC updated its guidance last week to recommend the use of disposable KN95 and N95 masks for the general public.

Previously, they had reserved this recommendation for medical personnel, fearing that a high demand for these products could cause shortages, something that no longer worries health authorities.

According to the CDC, KN95 and N95 masks can block up to 95% of airborne particles if worn correctly.

Surgical masks, usually blue, are up to 90% effective.

While most cloth masks only provide 25% protection.

"Omicron is a much more transmissible virus, so either it spreads more efficiently because people release more virus particles into the air or because it's able to -- because it takes fewer particles to infect you," said Dr. Deborah Fuller, a professor of microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

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"So if you're standing next to someone who's infected, it's going to take you a lot longer to transmit it to someone who's wearing an N95 mask."

The authorities recommend the use of this type of high-quality mask, which can be reused up to five times if stored in a plastic bag afterwards,

For example, if you are going to be around many people for long periods of time, such as on board a train, bus, or plane;

to care for someone who is sick or if you are more likely to become seriously ill.

The latest CDC guidelines note that there is a special category of 'N95 surgical' masks, which are specially designed for protection against blood spatter and other risks in the operating room.

They are not generally available for sale to the public and should continue to be reserved for health care workers, according to the agency.