In the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important than now to be able to access the personal protective equipment that you need to stay safe and protected from the novel coronavirus. The team here at Protectly.co are passionate about making sure that everyone who needs access to PPE such as surgical masks and N95 masks is able to get the masks that they need.
N95 masks are a type of disposable respirator mask which can protect the wearer against at least 95% of airborne particles by filtering out the particles, including bacteria and viruses, from the air. They can’t filter out any oil-containing particles or extremely small particles, but they can filter out 95% or more of dusts, allergens and harmful microorganisms. They are considered to provide a higher level of protection than simple cloth masks or medical masks, so in the pandemic, the public are asked to limit their use of N95 respirators so that they can be reserved for the medical professionals who may be exposed to coronavirus patients.
Due to the high amount of protection that they provide, N95 masks have been highly in demand during the pandemic, and many people may be wondering where they can access them, including what shipping companies can provide them.
One company that has been a USA-based source of N95 respirator masks in 2020 is the shipping company Uline. This company was founded to fulfil local requirements for shipping supply and distribution in the 1980s. Unline initially began in the basement of the couple who founded it, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, but then they were able to expand the company to a headquarters in Illinois. From here, Uline expanded to other states including California, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Georgia and Texas, as well as to other countries such as Canada and Mexico.
Not only does Uline ship N95 respirator masks from their catalogue, but they also ship the 3M N95 respirators. 3M N95 masks include 3M technology, which uses an electrostatically charged filter to make breathing more comfortable for the user as well as increasing protection. 3M N95 masks are some of the most highly in-demand items in Uline’s catalogue, and they stock both the NIOSH-certified 3M 8200 model and the NIOSH-certified 3M 8511 model. Uline also stocks NIOSH-certified N95 masks from Moldex, as well as a Uline “home brand” of N95 masks which are also NIOSH certified. Uline is just one of many companies that is able to source and ship N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NIOSH certification ensures that the masks that you are buying have been tested by NIOSH and are shown to be legitimate and of a high standard. This is the only way to confirm this. If an N95 respirator is also going to be used in a healthcare environment, the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration) also needs to approve it.
If you have any questions about how to access authentic N95 masks, get in touch with the team at Protectly.co and we will see how we can help. It’s very important that everyone has access to masks and that you wear a high-quality mask whenever you are in public or interacting with others.