Photo by: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images

You've seen it in the news; thousands of people more infected every day. There are some precautions everyone should take to avoid contamination in public.

UPDATE: Due to worldwide shortage, it's very hard to find any anti-virus masks. We've partnered with Emergency Safe Supply to offer a huge discount to our readers. Due to worldwide shortage, it's very hard to find any anti-virus masks. We've partnered with Emergency Safe Supply to offer a huge discount to our readers. Click here to order your certified masks while stock lasts.

By Megan Levi

Published on January 23, 2020

Last Updated: March 29, 2020

1. Sanitize Your Mobile Device

You most likely touch your mobile phone every few minutes. When's the last time you sanitized your phone?

Your mobile phone is a filthy object containing millions of germs and bacteria that you carry with you every single day. Throughout the day, all the bacteria you touch on grocery carts, gas pumps, doorknobs, and even other people are transferred and stored on your phone.

A cell phone has 18x more bacteria than a public restroom.

If you are in contact with a virus in public, then touch your phone; Congratulations, you contaminated your phone successfully. Even if you wash your hands carefully once back home, you will get infected again as soon as you get your phone out of your pocket.

You can sanitize your phone effectively by scrubbing the screen and back of your mobile phone with disinfectant wipes or sanitizer pads.

The ultimate way to clean your phone is by using powerful UV-C. Only recently this technology became available to the public. It was previously only used in hospitals to sterilized medical devices.

2. Wear A Mask!

Can wearing a medical face mask protect you against the new virus? It's a question many people are asking (including pet owners who are putting canine face masks on their dogs!).

If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is no, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told us.

A more specialized mask, known as an KN95 respirator or KN95 masks, can protect against the new virus, also called SARS-CoV-2. The respirator is thicker than a surgical mask.

Recently, thousands of people stockpiled KN95 respirators due to the recent news and declarations on the highly contagious pandemic.

There is now a shortage of those anti-virus masks globally!

"It would appear that KN95 mask, no surprise, protect against health care acquisition of the virus,"

— said Dr. William Schaffner.

Surgical masks won't protect you, KN95 masks will.

In some Asian countries, such as Japan and China, it's not uncommon to see people wearing surgical masks in public to protect against pathogens and pollution. But those masks don't help much in the context of a virus, Schaffner said. "Surgical masks are not designed to keep out viral particles, and they're not nearly as tightly fitted around your nose and cheeks as an KN95 respirator", he said.

People sick with virus, should wear face masks to reduce the risk of infection to people around them, according to the CDC. Health care workers and those "taking care of someone infected in close settings (at home or in a healthcare facility)," should also wear face masks, the CDC reported.

After doing this research and interviewing Dr. Schaffner, we are convinced that KN95 protection masks can highly reduce the risk of pathogenic infection.

When there's an emergency pandemic of this type, you will have scumbags price-gouging on essential items families need to protect themselves. These sellers were reselling KN95 respirators for up to $100 while they are worth about $20 each.

As a result of price gouging, Amazon and Google banned businesses selling any anti-viral masks. A quick Google search will yield 0 results, trust us... we tried.

You can't find or buy KN95 masks anywhere, which is a shame as they can save multiple lives in the next few months.

Stay safe, clean and calm during the pandemic!

UPDATE:

Updated on March 29, 2020

We found an honest supplier who sell the KN95 masks for a reasonable price (thanks to a reader!).

And, They offer fast shipping anywhere in

We've reached out to them. This company currently sells 10-packs of certified KN95 masks for $89, but for our readers, they are making a special offer.

You can get 10x KN95 masks for only $49.95(!), but you need to order soon. They only have this price for a limited time and quantity.

We have stocked up and bought some respirators for our families as well. You should do to while stock lasts!

At first, we were shy about wearing masks in public. This insecurity quickly dissipated once we start seeing more people wearing those respirators. This might be the single most important action I took to protect my health and my family's wellbeing! Stay safe ✌️