World News: The Daily Money: Why you need an N95 mask and where to buy one

ALL THE MONEY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Wednesday, January 5

Good morning, Daily Money readers. Jayme Deerwester here with you this cold and windy Wednesday.

With omicron cases spiking, many of us are back to wearing masks in public. But it's time to upgrade your cloth covering to an N95, the type used by healthcare workers.

"Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron," Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech, told NPR.

The argument for wearing an N95 is that it's the gold standard of face coverings. With the proper fit, masks approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can filter up to 95% of particles in the air. When dealing with a respiratory virus like this coronavirus, N95 masks can make a large difference in protection from infection. Find out what you need to know about N95 masks and where to find them online.

On to today's ...

💡 DAILY INSIGHT. 💡 In November, job quitting leaped from 761,000 the prior month to 920,000 in restaurants and hotels, the industry hit hardest by job losses and worker shortages during the health crisis. Quits rose from 606,000 to 660,000 in education and health services; from 953,000 to 996,000 in trade, transportation and utilities; from 113,000 to 154,000 in financial activities; and from 730,000 to 798,000 in professional and business services.

Other stories you won't want to miss:

Home COVID tests prices scarce and pricey. COVID-19 at-home tests are hard to find and now Abbott's BinaxNOW kits cost more at Walmart and Kroger.

Food news. Crystal Pepsi is back and KFC is offering Beyond Fried Chicken.

CES 2022. The products worth buying, from TVs to smart faucets.

Toyota outsells GM in US for first time. But can it keep the crown once chip shortage ends?

Hawaii updates entry requirements. Island drops its questionnaire and shortens its quarantine period.

MOOD MUSIC. Since omicron is prompting us to mask up again, today's pick comes from the Fugees: "Put the mask up on the face just to make the next day."