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Another factor in companies having so many masks is that they only last so long, so it's not like every employee gets one mask and they are good for weeks or months, they wear out/clog so they better have multiple masks for each employee to get through a fire season, or viral pandemic, or whatever.
 
Since the masks are being donated I hope that hospitals aren't going to be charging their typically exorbitant prices for their use.
 
Good job! Helping other in need its what life is about. Love your neighbor!
 
Pence confused the total number from all tech companies combined with Apple's share. It's 9 million total, not simply from Apple. IIRC from a couple days ago, Apple's share is 2 million masks. FB 720,000.
This was a post from Tim Cook, not VP Pence, saying that they've sourced 10,000,000 of them.
 
Meanwhile...

Spain buys $467 million in medical equipment from China
Spain has signed a multi-million dollar contract with China to acquire medical supplies to fight the coronavirus epidemic, Health Minister Salvador Illa has said.

Worth some $467 million, the deal will cover 550 million masks, 5.5 million rapid test kits, 950 respirators and 11 million pairs of gloves to address shortages in Spain, where the number of deaths reached 3,434 on Wednesday, overtaking the figure in China where the virus originated late last year.

The masks will get them a few months farther....a few months!
 
This was a post from Tim Cook, not VP Pence, saying that they've sourced 10,000,000 of them.

I probably conflated news reports with this post. But also this from MacRumors:

Update: A previous version of this article stated that Apple had stockpiled nine million masks, and it has been updated with more accurate information.

Can't find the Yahoo! Finance post that also appeared to say that Pence said Apple stockpiled nine million masks, but this post on The Verge from a few days ago was updated from "millions," to 2M and then later to 10M masks:

 
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"Sourcing" masks doesn't mean there are now more masks in the world. They just bought masks that some health provider would have bought otherwise. Robbing Peter to pay Paul …

Better use the money to help factories ramp up production. We desperately need more production capacity, quick!
 
To those wondering why Apple, Facebook, Google, etc, have tons of masks in their possession - it's a California law! Because of the respiratory risk of wildfire smoke, California passed a law that requires employers have enough masks on hand for employees if they ask for them in severe smoke conditions.

The combination of laws mandated work-from-home/stay-at-home and emergency declarations allow these companies donate these masks now instead of holding on to them.
 
For those with asthma, be cautioned. My cousin almost had a full on attack putting one of these on, and walking up several flights of steps. Even myself (which I don’t have asthma, and in great shape), was surprised how much these n95 masks separate air from you. Just watch your activities while wearing one.
 
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Why just the US? They’ve stood by and seen other countries struggle.. shame on them

They actually previously (A few days ago) donated masks internationally. So calm down.
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"Sourcing" masks doesn't mean there are now more masks in the world. They just bought masks that some health provider would have bought otherwise. Robbing Peter to pay Paul …

Better use the money to help factories ramp up production. We desperately need more production capacity, quick!
No, these were stockpiled as required because of the smoke situation due to wildfires in the region around Silicon Valley the last couple of years. Hospitals could have stockpiled masks for 2 years, too, if they wanted to.
 
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Great news! And Cook gets a W here

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And its the year of the scissor mechanism laptop keyboard, and a touchID variant cheaper iPhone.

Woo, the race to the bottom is still looking pretty nice!
 
There's some differences particularly in that the nicer industrial ones have an exhale valve that makes the mask last longer and more comfortable by bypassing the filtration but obviously ruins biological isolation. Kind of ironic if you spent the extra cash for worker comfort.



There's actually three types: industrial N95, surgical masks, and surgical N95. The latter is the combination of both.


Nice link to 3M.
N95 mask during the wildfires here in Ca. were easy to find if you know where to look.
Automotive paint supply stores keep them because sanding paint is one of the activities they protect you from.
The masks with a exhale valve are for comfort when you have periods of extended wear and should not be use where you are trying to protect fo biological contaminants. Sanding paint at an auto shop type function.
 
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