Amazon won't sell coronavirus face masks to the public anymore

After more than a month of protective face masks being out of stock at Amazon, there are now plenty of different options available on the site including sought-after N95 respirator masks.
Members of the general public shouldn’t be buying these masks because healthcare workers have a much more urgent need — and now Amazon won’t even ship these items to private addresses anymore.
The CDC now advises that you should protect your mouth and nose when you need to go out, and Amazon has key supplies back in stock so you can make a quick and easy DIY coronavirus face mask that’s far more effective than a t-shirt or scarf.
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Search for N95 masks or any similar masks right now on Amazon, and you’ll find plenty of options in stock. Here, see for yourself. There all sorts of listings for N95 respirators, surgical masks, and plenty more. If you actually click on one though, you’ll see one of two things. For products that aren’t actually certified to be as effective as hospitals require, you’ll see that any order you place won’t actually be delivered until sometime in May. For products that actually are up to snuff, like N95 masks and true medical-grade surgical masks, you’ll see a note that these items are only available to ship to hospitals or to state government-run facilities.

At the same time, the CDC is now recommending that all people use face and nose protection when going out. But if you can’t actually buy face masks anywhere, what are you supposed to do? Here’s the thing: you’re not a doctor, a nurse, or a first responder. You should not be in close proximity to anyone who is infected with COVID-19 like they are all the time. In fact, you shouldn’t ever be in close proximity to anyone outside of your home. When you do go out, you MUST use social distancing to keep yourself out of harm’s way. On top of that, however, it’s also now recommended that you use basic face protection.

Basic face protection doesn’t mean as N95 respirator. Every N95 mask you use is an N95 mask a doctor or nurse doesn’t have access to. Instead, there are easy ways to make your own masks out of things like t-shirts and scarves. If you’re looking for a little more protection just to be safe, however, we totally understand. And that’s why we’re happy to report that Amazon finally has all the key materials you need to make your own virus-blocking face mask in a matter of minutes.

We found an awesome video that will show you how to easily make a DIY face mask that is much more effective than those basic mask ideas you’ve seen online. And the best part is you don’t need to sew at all or search for hard-to-get supplies. Most of what you’ll use to make these masks is already lying around your house, and the two supplies you don’t already have are readily available now that they’re back in stock at Amazon.

First, you’ll need a MERV 13 Pleated Air Filter. If the one on that link sells out again, try this search — any air filer with a MERV 13 rating (nothing lower) and good reviews will suffice. You’ll also need to get yourself Carbon Pad Charcoal Sheets for Air Filters.

Available on Amazon

Here’s the full list of supplies and materials, the rest of which you probably already have:

Old T-shirt or leggings
MERV 13 Filter (to filter small particles)
Activated Carbon Sheet (to filter small particles and reduce odor)
Maxi Pad or Sterile Gauze Pad (to wick moisture away from your mouth)
Vinegar (to help kill bacteria and viruses)
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

It’s a very smart and easy DIY, and while it’s not quite as effective as a true N95 face mask, it should be more than enough to protect you from becoming infected with COVID-19 as long as you continue to practice social distancing and using common sense. Here’s the full video with the tutorial that shows you how to make the masks: