Summary
The CDC identified rare mutations in the bird flu virus from the first severe U.S. human case, found in a Louisiana resident over 65 with severe respiratory illness.
The mutations, located in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene responsible for cell attachment, differ from those in local backyard flock samples and align with severe cases seen abroad.
The patient was infected with the D1.1 genotype, recently found in U.S. wild birds and poultry, not the B3.13 genotype seen in humans and livestock elsewhere.
The CDC states no person-to-person transmission occurred, and public risk remains low.
KF94 made in South Korea are also a good choice because they are better regulated than the KN from China, and they fit many faces better. The key is to verify the manufacturer as well as get a mask that fits your face well. You shouldn’t feel any air escaping from around the outside seal. This also means you should wear the mask properly - I’ve seen plenty of people will all sorts of masks including N95 that are loose or even exposing the nose…or worse, them pulling the mask away to talk because it muffles them. Why bother wearing anything if you don’t actually use it right?