People how to wear masks appropriately. That's important public health. And why I just start with that it's important public health is, it's still a preventable disease. And I think we need to keep that in the back of our mind, is that we have a lot of power and agency in our own minds to actually prevent the disease by making sure people 1) have access to high-quality masks, and 2) are able to wear them. So I think it's important. Dr. Chan, why are masks so important? When we think about the variant that is in Rhode Island right now, the UK variant, why do we care so much about masks?

3ply face mask wholesale

Dr. Chan: Masks are really important to protect both you and the people around you. Primarily what we've seen in the past is that masks actually protect others around you. So if you're sick, or even have an infection and don't know it-- remember, up to 50% of people with COVID may not know it because they're asymptomatic. Is that you wearing a mask will actually protect others around you. And as the pandemic has progressed we've also learned the mask will of course also protect you. Dr. McDonald: Yeah, it's important, too. And I think about the variants, in particular, is... you know it's not surprising that the wild-type virus has changed to a variant because that's what viruses do. They change. The thing about a mask though is it protects us no matter what variant is out there. Cause the way they're spread is through respiratory droplets, the little extent in the air we breathe.

USA 3ply face mask manufacture

So a mask's important. So I have a lot of masks here. Why don't we talk a little bit about masks in general? Dr. Chan, I have here a medical-grade N-95 mask. What are your thoughts about this mask?

Dr. Chan: So these N-95 masks are one of them--are the best masks that are out there, and that's why they're in such high demand. So N-95 masks--a lot of times healthcare professionals you'll see wearing those.

But there are also equivalents or some that are pretty close. What else do you have there?

Dr. McDonald: Yeah, I mean this is a great mask, but you know what? I'd rather you leave these for the people who work in hospitals. So these are our great equivalents here. So, Dr. Chan, that's an N-95, a non-medical grade. And I'm holding right here a KN-95. And this is a new little tool for me, this is something I've gotten to use lately, they look just like a KN-95 but this is actually a KF-94. So the KF-94s are generally made in Korea, and they work quite well. This is a K-95 that's generally made in China, and that's a medical grade--a non-medical grade, rather--N- 95. You'll see these used in construction and other places, but they really are high-quality masks. I'm going to show you how I put on the KF-94. Right here, right behind my ears, pinch the nose. It fits nice, it talks well. I can, you know, hear through it, and it's all good.