How to Donate Your N95 Masks to New York Doctors

Hospitals in New York and other coronavirus hot spots “are running in short supply of N95 masks,” said Richard E. Peltier, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Hospitals have been conserving masks or reusing them to make them last.

“So we’re playing a game of roulette,” Peltier said.

N95 masks are in acute demand among medical providers because they provide a tight fit and help prevent a person from inhaling small, airborne infectious particles. Last week, some N95 masks that are primarily intended for use in industrial settings, such as construction, were temporarily approved for medical use by the FDA. Surgical masks fit more loosely, but prevent the wearer from spreading droplets when coughing or sneezing.

Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others are considering whether to recommend that people cover their faces in public, there is growing concern that people will start using medical masks when a scarf, kerchief or bandanna would be sufficient.

Instead of hanging on to N95 and surgical masks, experts say, people should make their own and donate any medical masks for use in the health care system.

For people in the New York area who happen to have respirator-type N95 masks or other medical-grade surgical masks at home or in storage and want to help medical workers in the region, there are several ways to donate them. Policies vary on whether opened or expired boxes of masks will be accepted. Donors should check with the individual groups first about what is accepted.

The New York state Department of Health has an online form for donations of essential goods, such as medical masks. To donate, visit the department’s website and fill out the form. Email COVID19supplies@esd.ny.gov for more information.

There are at least two websites geared toward connecting New York residents with medical professionals who need crucial supplies. NYC Mask Crusaders allows artists, institution laborers and others to donate their extra masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment. Mask Match helps people with spare N95 and surgical masks to get those supplies to medical professionals.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .