Up Your Mask Game (Affordably)!
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
Just over a year ago, the United States had its first COVID case.
In the early days, even those of us who tend to get worried about every potential danger and take precautions really had no idea what to do. I wore gloves daily and washed my hands constantly, while still going to large group dinners in restaurants and meeting with clients in the office.
Then, during lockdown in March we stayed inside all the time, wiping down surfaces throughout the day, and confining our kids to strollers when we went out lest they touch an elevator button. But still not wearing masks!
Finally, last April, the CDC recommended that all Americans wear masks to stop the spread. Of course, at the time it was almost impossible to buy them. Even Etsy had multi-week lead times, so for a couple of weeks I tied ripped-up t-shirts to my face until we finally were able to get some cloth masks.
Over the past several months, it feels like we’ve learned so much and made so much progress on the virus. Traditional and rapid COVID tests are more widely available, and two vaccines are now authorized for use in the US, with at least two more likely in the next month or two. Doctors have learned new techniques to treat patients, and antibody treatments are at least theoretically available to some.
And yet most of us wear the same old mediocre cloth masks, expensive fashionable cloth masks that make dubious claims about increased protection, or (somewhat better) surgical masks. In recent weeks we’ve heard about more and more cases, including one that closed our son’s classroom at school, among people who wear cloth masks everywhere and identified their sole potential exposure as going to a grocery store while wearing a mask.
So, what is one to do? Sure, N95 masks remain primarily available only to medical professionals (as they should), but masks offering far better protection than traditional cloth and surgical masks are now widely available at low prices.
Over the past week or two, we’ve seen a flurry of announcements and recommendations that suggest that, particularly given the rise of emerging COVID variants in the US that may spread far more easily than “COVID classic”, wearing a cloth mask is simply not enough.
Some examples:
Eric Topol (kind of a publicity hound but a good communicator of emerging research)
Eric Feigl-Ding (senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists)
Many European countries now mandating more sophisticated masks in public
At the same time, it’s not particularly hard to find more sophisticated masks available for low prices. This CBS News article has some good links. We buy KN95 masks from Bona Fide Masks (not an endorsement! I don’t make any money from this newsletter) for just over $1.25 each, including shipping, and we reuse them a couple of times.
We’ve started using the headband-style ones for a more secure fit and putting a cloth mask over them. This might be uncomfortable if you need to wear one all day, but is fine for an hour or two.
If you are increasingly concerned about yet another wave of COVID (the third? the fourth?) in the US based on the new strains, please consider upping your mask game while we wait for vaccines to become broadly available. And of course, get the best price when you shop for your higher quality mask. These days, a good quality KN95 from a reputable source shouldn’t run more than $1.50 or so.
And now…Andrew’s pick of the week:
City So Real
One of my favorite documentaries of all time is Steve James’s Hoop Dreams, which told the stories of two Chicago high school basketball stars. Over 25 years later, James tells the story of Chicago’s 14-candidate mayoral election in 2019 in City So Real, a gripping five-part miniseries. Highly recommended.
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.