The push to make personal protective equipment in the U.S. is running out steam after an initial surge at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

San Antonians are rushing to pharmacies to grab their free N95 masks.

University Health Epidemiologist Dr. Jason Bowling answered some frequently asked questions about the effectiveness of different kinds of masks.

The CDC has outlined some guidelines about reusing masks in emergency situations. It’s directed at medical professionals, but some of the advice can also be applied for home use.

Experts say how often you can safely wear an N95 or KN95 mask will vary depending on how it’s used.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week.

U.S. health officials have updated their mask guidance, encouraging more Americans to wear N95 or KN95 masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The highly infectious omicron variant has COVID-19 cases on the rise. The increase has people looking for convenient at home tests and higher quality face masks, but they’re harder to find.

SAN ANTONIO – Southwest Research Institute has revealed that 8 of 11 different brands of counterfeit KN95 masks tested by the organization were manufactured in China, according to Dr. Imad Khalek, the program’s senior program manager. Khalek said KN95 is the Chinese version of the American-made N95 masks that are now hard to find. He said 73% of the counterfeit masks failed and were only 63% efficient, instead of 95% or higher that you get with real N95 masks. Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began, SwRI switched from testing engine emissions to testing emission of particles through masks. “Maybe hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by various healthcare systems in hospitals on counterfeit KN95 masks,” Khalek said.

(CNN) -- Federal law enforcement has disrupted a foreign criminal scheme to fraudulently sell 39 million N95 respirator masks to US health care workers, a Justice Department official said in an interview with CNN. In the past month, one group of alleged scammers attempted to bilk US health care companies by offering the sale of N95 masks and demanding upfront payment of 40% of the total bulk purchase price. Brady noted the SEIU and 3M -- which was reported to be the maker of the alleged N95 masks -- have also assisted authorities. N95 masks are currently among the most sought-after and scarce pieces of personal protective equipment for health care workers treating the thousands of US victims of the novel coronavirus. "The health care systems and first responders are so desperate they're willing to pay whatever it takes to keep their personnel safe," Brady noted.