The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in January that for maximum protection against Covid-19 infection, people should upgrade to a N95 or KN95 mask.

For Anne Miller, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) are very personal. In April 2020, her mother in law was among the first Vermonters to die after contracting Covid-19. After that, the health care consultant and resident of Essex made it her mission to find and disseminate top quality PPE to anyone who wanted it.

Miller is the executive director of Project N95, a “PPE clearinghouse” that connects people who need personal protective equipment to companies that make it. Project N95 has so far delivered over 12 million units of PPE and Covid-19 tests. The U.S. government is now offering a limited number of free N95 masks through pharmacies and other outlets.

When it comes to finding high quality masks, “The big part of this is fit and filtration,” Miller advises. “An N95 has those straps across the back, they mess up your hair. These are the ones that are going to confer the best protection for you.”

Miller warns that when the CDC tested masks, “60 percent of the KN95s that they tested were found to be fake…in the sense that they didn't do what they claimed to do. They didn't filter 95 percent.” She says it’s important to order from sources, such as Project N95, that test and certify that their masks meet rigorous standards.