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This article was contributed by reader Jeremy, and KUKU has edited and expanded it based on his submission. Many thanks to Jeremy for the contribution, and everyone is welcome to submit posts to our blog. May the pandemic end soon!

The purpose of this article is not to encourage hoarding masks. It is meant to offer some references for readers who cannot buy masks, and also to give some suggestions to readers who have masks but are not using them properly.

Before We Begin

Hello everyone, I’m Jeremy. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, “masks” have become a hot commodity worldwide. Of course, there is still debate, both in China and overseas and across different cultures, about how much of a role masks can play in the fight against the pandemic. But for us, having a mask is like a soldier having a gun: it gives us a little more confidence, and it also gives our family members far away a little less worry.

Types of Masks

At present, the main compliant anti-epidemic masks on the market fall into two categories:

  • Disposable medical masks or surgical masks
  • KF94, KN95, or N95 and above protective masks

Based on China’s anti-epidemic experience, for the general public, disposable medical masks or surgical masks are enough (provided that you know how to wear and use them correctly).

If you really can’t buy a mask, then using some ordinary dust masks or anti-haze masks as a stopgap is still better than not wearing anything at all. Of course, whether you have a mask or not, it is still recommended that you go out less and avoid crowded places.

Background

There is indeed a severe mask shortage in the U.S. market right now. Under normal circumstances, masks are not difficult to buy, and even at the beginning of the pandemic, I was still able to buy five boxes of 3M 10-pack N95 masks on Amazon at the original price of $12 per box and send them back to China. As the pandemic worsened, masks have become harder and harder to find. In Los Angeles, where I live, mask supplies are extremely scarce. Most of the stock has long since disappeared: some has been hoarded, some has been bought by Chinese Americans and sent back to China, some has already been purchased by the government, and even warehouse inventory is very limited. But the good news is that with the containment of the outbreak in China and the recovery of production capacity, masks are no longer as hard to find as they were at the worst point. Below I’ll introduce a few ways to buy masks in the U.S.

Buying at Physical Stores in the U.S.

Tip: Many cities are already under lockdown. Although pharmacies will not close, be sure to stay safe and protect yourself when going to a physical store.

The most common places to buy masks in the U.S. are pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Mask shortages are widespread at these major chains, but that does not mean they cannot be found. Each store restocks every week, and there are two things you need to do to avoid making a wasted trip:

  • Figure out when the pharmacy restocks
  • Check the website or call ahead to confirm whether they have stock

CVS Physical Stores

The medical masks available at CVS include the following:

Because so many people were buying masks, CVS recently disabled the inventory-check feature on its website. You can go to Brickseek to check whether there is stock. Use the SKU finder and enter the keyword face mask to find the SKU for the corresponding mask, then enter your ZIP code to see inventory levels near you. Brickseek is not an official stock-checking tool, but I found it to be fairly accurate, especially when the remaining quantity is >10. It was through Brickseek that I found the Curad mask I recommend below. Of course, you can also call nearby CVS stores in advance to find out when they restock, then keep checking Brickseek and be ready to line up early.

By the way, I’d like to recommend the Curad brand masks sold at CVS. These are the best-quality masks I’ve been able to buy in the U.S. so far: the material is thick and the workmanship is excellent. Highly recommended!

Walgreens Physical Stores

Another major pharmacy chain is Walgreens. In Los Angeles, where I live, Walgreens seems to be able to keep sending out masks from its warehouses every week, although the quantity is very small.

The Walgreens mask links are:

Walgreens still has a stock-check function on its website (or app), but when you click into it, most of the time you’ll see the discouraging red Out of Stock.

However, after repeated attempts, I found that Walgreens can still restock every week, and the easiest to buy is the Cone style. For the Walgreens closest to me, they restock every Thursday at noon. The truck arrives on time at 10 a.m., and it takes about two hours to get the merchandise onto the shelves, so around 12 p.m. you can go try your luck. I used this method to buy two boxes of masks. Even though they are scarce goods, Walgreens can still run a Buy 1 get 1 for 50% off promotion during difficult times, which deserves a thumbs-up.

Rite Aid Physical Stores

Masks available at Rite Aid:

Unfortunately, Rite Aid doesn’t really have a good way to check stock. The Rite Aid near my home usually restocks after closing on Wednesday night, so you can try your luck early Thursday morning. If you can figure out their restocking time and confirm it by phone, there is still a good chance of buying some.

Other Physical Stores

There are also some less obvious places where you can buy masks, and these masks are mostly industrial-grade. Common stores include Lowe's, Home Depot, Staples, and Office Depot. A friend once bought a lot of N95 masks at Lowe's, but Staples and Office Depot have always had a habit of canceling orders, and their websites also often act up.

There are also some places people may not immediately think of, such as auto repair shops. At O’reilly and Autozone, there are quite a few 3M N95 masks. These industrial-grade masks are certainly effective from a protective standpoint.

U.S. online shopping

When it comes to online shopping, the most commonly used sites are Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Mask inventory on Amazon/Walmart/Target is also scarce, and most of what you find are third-party products. The quality of these third-party masks is questionable, returns are not possible, and the prices are high, so we strongly do not recommend buying them (not to mention eBay).

Common search keywords are: surgical mask, N95, etc.

Amazon

When buying masks on Amazon, we usually, or rather definitely, want to buy ones sold and shipped by Amazon! But if you search now, you can basically only find masks sold by third parties, with no quality guarantee and high prices. It depends on how badly you need them.

If you can find one sold by Amazon, you can buy it. The way to tell is simple: you can see the source before adding it to your cart.

But there are also quite a few merchants that use bait-and-switch tactics (some clothing distributors supply Amazon, and sometimes they temporarily switch the supplied item to masks and sell them to Amazon, which shows Sold by Amazon.com and tricks customers into ordering). The quality of these sources is not necessarily good, so you need to check carefully. The easiest way is to click the supplier name under the product title and see whether they are really selling protective supplies.

If the masks come from this kind of source (and are indeed Sold by Amazon.com), from a consumer standpoint they are not too expensive, so you can buy a little if needed. At least Prime shipping can get them to us quickly, and if the quality turns out to be really bad after receiving them, returns are also very convenient. You can also use some Amazon promotions, such as Shop with Points:

KUKU personally tested that this kind of "fake" item can normally trigger the MR offer, and this sold by Amazon item after changing into a mask disguise:

The purchase can trigger the MR offer:

If the quality is acceptable and the price is not outrageous, while still saving you some money, then if you have nothing else at all, you can still reluctantly buy a few. If the quality is very poor, or if you receive a genuine "fake" item, you can contact Amazon right away; Amazon will definitely help you~.

Walmart

Using the same method, you can buy some Walmart private-label masks from Walmart (the link I bought from is no longer active). I found that some of the masks were made in the United States. As a test, I cut one open and found that it really was three layers, with the middle layer made of meltblown fabric. It would not ignite when held over a flame (the mask cut open in the picture had already been discarded after multiple uses by the author).

Note: the test mask in this image had already been discarded after multiple uses by the author.

Yamibuy

Yamibuy mainly sells Asian snacks, but recently it has also brought in a lot of masks and other anti-pandemic supplies through its logistics network; if you need them, check periodically.

Other U.S. online stores

Other cross-border e-commerce

Many cross-border e-commerce shops also ship to the United States. At the moment, it is recommended to buy from East Asian regions where the pandemic is less severe, such as JD mentioned below, and several others in East Asia are also good.

Chinese supermarkets and pharmacies

Another common place is pharmacies near Chinese supermarkets (you can also buy Chinese medicines such as 999 and Nin Jiom). Once I passed by a Chinese pharmacy near a supermarket; they were all small shops, but they had all kinds of masks. The prices were truly outrageous: a two-ply mask with no real protective effect, claimed to be a Cambodian medical mask, cost $15 for 10; a 3M N95 cost $10 each. It was basically robbery.

Buying from China

Shopping on Chinese official sites (JD, TAOBAO, etc.)

As work and production resumed in China, major domestic e-commerce platforms can now sell masks that are good, affordable, and genuine. JD and Tmall both have self-operated masks that can be shipped overseas, and sometimes there are promotions. In last week's JD Worldwide Home Protection Day event, I successfully bought 40 KN95 masks, stacking a free-shipping coupon (80 yuan) and a 40 yuan voucher.

I placed the order on March 19 and received it on March 27. It was shipped domestically via JD Logistics, exported from Shenzhen via FedEx, routed through Japan, and entered through Tennessee; I received it one day after customs clearance. When buying, make sure to choose JD self-operated products, otherwise you cannot stack the free-shipping coupon.

Also, JD can be checked out via WeChat Pay. For larger amounts, you can add items in the app without checking out, then switch to the JD mini program in WeChat and pay with a U.S. credit card. See below for a WeChat Pay guide:

JOYBUY and Taobao U.S.

  • JOYBUY is JD’s global platform, and it can ship to the U.S. for free. You can compare prices; sometimes it’s cheaper than buying directly from JD’s China site or having someone in China mail it to you. H/T: illusionwing
  • World Taobao is another similar example. Some items on World Taobao have their own warehouses in the U.S., so it’s worth exploring. If you pay by card, the fee is the big downside. They do occasionally have no-fee promotions, but staying safe matters more; if it’s 3%, just let it go.
Image courtesy of illusionwing

Shipping from China

Work has resumed in China now, and masks are basically plentiful. Many people are having relatives and friends in China send masks, protective suits, and goggles to the U.S. For personal use overseas, usually only a total of 100 or fewer protective items may be shipped (mask + protective suit + goggles combined). If you exceed that, customs clearance can be a hassle, and there’s also a chance U.S. Customs will intercept and confiscate them.

  • Quantity limit: generally understood to be a total of 100 or fewer
  • Main carriers used: SF Express (transferred to UPS in the U.S.), DHL, EMS
  • The cost is still pretty reasonable; it won’t be much more expensive than buying them yourself in the U.S.
  • As for delivery time, it used to be about 2–3 weeks, but with the outbreak worsening in the U.S., it’s hard to say now.

You can refer to the instructions from each carrier:

  • DHL’s instructions on shipping protective supplies overseas: see here.
  • SF Express’s instructions on shipping protective supplies overseas: see here.
  • EMS Postal Service’s instructions on shipping protective supplies overseas: see here.

About Children’s Masks

Children’s masks may be harder to buy in the U.S.; if you need them, you can buy them on Chinese e-commerce sites (JD) or have someone in China mail them to you. One thing is certain: quite a few children and even infants have been infected with COVID-19, and there have been very few reported severe cases among children. Still, we can’t let kids take risks. The best thing is to keep them at home and try not to let them run around outside. Spending more time at home watching Peppa Pig with them or buying a game console to play together is nice too.

Likewise, if it’s not necessary, try not to let the elderly in the family go out and take risks. Leave the shopping to younger family members or use an online fresh-grocery delivery service.

How to Use a Mask Correctly

Having a mask is one thing; using it correctly is another!

How to Tell Front from Back

For higher-protection masks, just wear them as instructed and you’ll be fine. But some disposable masks are hard to tell apart, and designs vary by country. For masks with a front and back, be sure to wear them the right way; if you put a mask on backward, airborne pathogens can slip through the gaps into your respiratory tract, and the mask won’t be able to filter properly.

Generally, you can follow these rules (use them together if needed):

  • For masks with different colors, the darker side is the front and the lighter side is the back; wear them with the front facing out.
  • For masks without color differences, use the metal strip to tell them apart. Medical masks are usually the same color, which makes them hard to distinguish. In general, the side with the metal strip on top and bulging outward is the outside; the opposite side is the inside.

Proper Wearing

  • Putting it on: after confirming the front and back, wash your hands before putting it on, and don’t touch the inside of the mask with your hands to avoid contamination
  • Set the nose wire: fit it to your face, cover your nose and mouth, press the top wire to the bridge of your nose (push from the middle of the nose toward both sides of the face), and make sure the lower edge covers your chin as much as possible (if you have a small face, you can tie a small knot in the ear loops).
  • Pull up and down: once the aluminum-plastic strip or metal strip at the top of the mask fits snugly against your face, use your hands to pull the edges of the mask up and down so it covers your chin and the area below your eyes (to open up the folds).
  • Taking it off: wash your hands first. Don’t touch the outside of the mask, and don’t touch the inner layer of the mask (the side that rests against your face) with your hands to avoid contamination. The correct way is to remove one ear loop first, then pull off the other ear loop.
  • Handwashing is very important; where masks are scarce, frequent handwashing is usually the first recommendation.

A few don’ts

  • Men should try not to keep too much beard on the chin; beards can create leaks
  • Don’t leave your nose exposed; that’s basically the same as not wearing one
  • Don’t pull the whole mask down below your chin; that ruins the mask

When to Wear It

The following is based on China’s epidemic-prevention guidance, see here. We are only listing the situations for the general public and usage notes; for the rest, please refer to the original text:

(1) At home or outdoors, with no crowding and good ventilation.

Protection advice: no mask needed.

(2) In crowded places, such as offices, shopping areas, restaurants, conference rooms, workshops, etc.; or when riding enclosed elevators or public transportation.

Protection advice: in medium- and low-risk areas, carry a spare mask with you (a disposable medical mask or surgical mask) and wear a mask when in close contact with other people (within 1 meter). In high-risk areas, wear a disposable medical mask.

(3) For people with cold symptoms such as coughing or sneezing.

Protection advice: wear a disposable medical mask or surgical mask.

(4) For people living with those in home isolation or recovering after discharge from the hospital.

Protection advice: wear a disposable medical mask or surgical mask.

Usage Notes

(1) Respiratory protective equipment includes masks and respirators. Wash your hands before putting them on and after taking them off.

(2) When wearing a mask, pay attention to the front/back and top/bottom. The mask should cover the nose and mouth, and the nose clip should be adjusted to fit the face.

(3) During use, avoid touching the inside or outside of the mask with your hands. Remove the mask by taking hold of the strings at both ends.

(4) Wearing multiple masks does not effectively increase protection; instead, it increases breathing resistance and may compromise the seal.

(5) There is no evidence that washing, disinfecting, or other similar measures are effective for masks.

(6) Disposable medical masks and surgical masks are limited-use and should not be used for more than 8 hours in total. For occupational exposure personnel, mask use should not exceed 4 hours, and they may not be reused.

[KUKU note: If you’re short on masks and the outbreak around you isn’t severe, extending use a bit is okay as long as you use them correctly. Also, unless you have a special reason, disposable medical masks are enough; N95s are very stuffy.]

Closing Thoughts

Masks are useful, but they still can’t guarantee 100% protection from infection. Good hygiene habits, frequent handwashing, going out less, and exercising to strengthen your immune system are also key protective measures. In the end, we just hope this global disaster ends soon and everyone’s life can get back to normal as soon as possible.

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