With the nationwide call for all Americans to upgrade their COVID-19 protective masks to the type used by at-risk health care workers, mask shortages are not a concern — yet, according to watchdog groups.

Nurses nationwide have made public pleas since the beginning of the pandemic for better access to N95 masks. These masks, which meet federal guidelines, are pre-fitted for individual users and can filter out 95% of particles — making them standard respiratory protection for a virus that medical experts have said is airborne and transmitted via droplets.

Throughout 2020 numerous regulatory agencies acknowledged the issue, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has fined hundreds of health care facilities since the start of the pandemic for not having proper respiratory protection. 

In June 2021 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lifted its emergency use approval of alternative N95 masks, saying shortages for health care workers were no longer a concern.

Fast forward to January 2022 when the Biden administration announced that it would be providing the general public with 400 million N95 masks — the same month the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance on the omicron variant’s high infection rate and said that cloth masks were no longer ample protection.

In its Jan. 19 announcement, the White House said the U.S. “has tripled the number of N95 masks in the Strategic National Stockpile since January 2021 – to more than 750 million. … Today, there is ample supply of high-quality masks for health care workers, and high-quality masks are also widely available to the American public.”

A spokeswoman with the FDA said President Joe Biden’s pledge is for “nonsurgical” N95 masks, and not the sort required in health care.

While safety experts agree shortages are no longer an issue, problems could be on the horizon.

Nicolas Smit, director of The American Mask Manufacturers Association in Washington, said the organization is concerned about federal mask contracts and urges that they be issued to several U.S.-based companies instead of just larger manufacturers, which could create shortages if companies go out of business.

Other potential issues are also a concern, such as counterfeit masks coming from abroad and health care organizations not being well informed about the supply available in the United States, Mr. Smit said.

“Restocking the stockpile” of quality masks for health care is now the task at hand, he added.

Donn Herring, a partner in the St. Louis office of Spencer Fane LLP who specializes in issues affecting hospitals and regulation, informally polled several of his health care clients on the issue. He found that most are keeping up with supplies — including N95 masks in almost every supply order, for example — and that the lessons learned from early in the pandemic, when many health care organizations reportedly did not have enough masks, are always at the forefront. 

“The bottom line is, we are good for now, but we are concerned that the popularity (of N95 masks) is going to create shortages, especially if the government is buying all of them,” he said of his health care clients. 

Meanwhile, it’s not the first time CDC guidance has hampered efforts with regards to personal protective equipment in health care. And several organizations are watching for issues in the future.

The American Nurses Association, which has been critical of mask supplies in the past, said in a statement to Business Insurance: “Transparency about supply chain and distribution to providers from the government and facilities is key to creating confidence in our nurses. At no point should crisis strategies be utilized by health care systems because of concerns about supply. Communication and timely data between government agencies, facilities, and providers are key to getting the proper protections in place at every level.” It did not answer follow-up questions on potential shortages in the future.

An OSHA spokesperson said, “In the event that the country experiences supply shortages, OSHA expects that employers will follow and implement other measures, such as contingency and crisis capacity conservation strategies, to protect employees. OSHA will evaluate employers’ mask and respirator process and compliance with applicable standards, including Personal Protective Equipment and Respiratory Protection Standards to ensure worker protection.”