It was purchased by Johns Hopkins Hospital, the famed medical institution that has tracked cases of the novel coronavirus around the world since the pandemic’s start. There are surgical masks, which protect a patient from a nurse’s germs, and respirator masks, which protect a nurse from the patient. This flat-fold, three-panel N95 respirator is a type popular in hospitals, where it is used to protect doctors and nurses from inhaling virus-filled particles. How this story was reported: This story is the result of interviews with three dozen people who wear, make, sell, distribute, buy, regulate and want N95 respirators. Because of covid-19 safety restrictions, The Post was not permitted to enter Johns Hopkins Hospital or 3M’s South Dakota manufacturing plant, and relied on photography provided by those institutions.

Source: Washington Post September 21, 2020 12:59 UTC