As new coronavirus strains raise questions about mask quality, the N95 market in the U.S. is still facing supply issues

Government officials in the U.S. and Europe have called for stricter mask protocols as more infectious strains of the coronavirus circulate, yet there is still concern that demand for respirator masks in the U.S. far outweighs supply. 

N95s are unique in that they can filter out nearly all — 95% — of large and small particles in the air. This makes them more efficient blockers of the SARS-CoV-2 aerosols that can travel through the air.