If you’ve put your COVID face masks into retirement, it’s time to start wearing them again if you live in the large region of the United States that’s currently affected by wildfires in Canada.
HuffPost reports that scientists have documented that air from the Midwest to the East Coast is blanketed in smoke containing disease-causing particles that make it difficult and even dangerous to go outside, especially for those with respiratory issues.
The good news is that N95 masks can filter out 95% of smoke particles, according to California’s health department. The best thing to do is stay inside and limit your outdoor activities, but if you need to venture outdoors you can protect yourself with an N95 or a KN95 mask (only N95 masks are approved for healthcare use in the U.S., but KN95 masks have many of the same protective properties).
Below is a roundup of masks should you need to protect yourself.
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