Essentials - COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic guide: Face masks, testing kits, travel and more

By Carolin Lehmann

February 4, 2022 / 2:23 PM EST / Essentials

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woman wearing face mask — The information surrounding COVID-19 is ever-changing, but the most up-to-date details are here. Getty Images

It's been nearly two years since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the U.S., and best practices are still evolving. Read on for our CBS Essentials guide to all things COVID-19 right now, including face masks, travel, testing kits and more. Follow the links for more in-depth articles on each topic to learn everything you need to know about the pandemic, plus find product recommendations ahead, to use in tandem with your vaccinations.

Face masks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still says to "wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission," which includes more than 99.75% of U.S. counties. At the very least, the CDC recommends you wear a face mask with multiple layers that completely covers your mouth, nose and chin. Fashion brands sell eye-catching mask designs these days, and there are masks made specifically for exercising. If you like such options, you may need to consider double masking, layering a cloth mask over a disposable N95 or KN95 mask, for an additional level of protection.

N95 masks offer the very best protection, but to confuse things, there are the similarly named KN95 masks on the market. These masks, unlike N95s, are not vetted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, but offer a roughly similar level of protection when worn correctly.

Check out the CBS Essentials guide to the difference between N95, KN95, surgical and cloth masks to find the best fit for you.

Herschel classic fitted face mask

Herschel classic fitted face mask, $15 (buy one get one free)

$15 at Herschel

N95 masks

The Biden Administration is making 400 million N95 masks available to Americans for free through local pharmacies (such as Walgreens, CVS and some supermarkets) and local health centers, sourced from the government's Strategic National Stockpile.

If you're having trouble getting your hand on a free N95 mask, or if you need a larger, reliable supply of masks for daily use, you may want to buy N95 masks. These masks offer the best protection against COVID-19 (filtering at least 95% of all airborne particles larger than 0.3 microns). Some schools and employers are now even requiring them over cloth masks.

Unfortunately, many N95 masks are counterfeit. Check out the CBS Essentials article on how to spot a fake N95 and KN95 mask.

Honeywell DC300 N95 particulate disposable respirators (20 pack)

Honeywell DC300 N95 particulate disposable respirators (20 pack), $30

$30 at Honeywell

Kids' masks (KF94 and KN95 masks)

The CDC recommends that children over age 2 wear a mask in indoor public places that also fall in "areas of substantial or high transmission of COVID-19," which is nearly everywhere. While there are no childrens' masks rated N95 -- that is a designation for adult-sized masks only -- there are KF94 and KN95 masks in kids' sizes, which offer a similar level of protection.

Powecom kids KN95-SM respirator mask (10 pack)

Powecom KN95-SM Respirator Mask — Bona Fide Masks

Powecom kids KN95-SM respirator mask (10 pack), $13

$13 at Bona Fide Masks

Traveling with masks

Masks are still required for public transportation, and some locations still require mask use when indoors in public. Your safest bet is an N95 mask. Check out the CBS Essentials guide to N95 masks for travel.

3M N95 8210 respirator (20 pack)

3M Personal Protective Equipment Particulate Respirator 8210 — Amazon

3M N95 8210 respirator (20 pack), $25 (reduced from $30)

$25 at Amazon

COVID-19 testing kits

The Biden Administration has launched a website to provide free, at-home COVID-19 tests to Americans, with a limit of four tests per address. Tests take 1 to 2 weeks to arrive.

If that's too slow, or if you've already reached your limit of free tests, you can buy at home COVID-19 tests. (These at-home COVID-19 tests can be reimbursable by private insurance.) Some brands are tough to find in stock, however, so the CBS Essentials COVID-19 test kit tracker can come in handy.