Category: Q&A

Emily Knowlton

Hopkinton native Emily Knowlton is the owner of BB Take Home Kitchen (bbtakehomekitchen.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @bbtakehomekitchen), also known as the Balanced Brussel, a weekly take-home meal business that operates out of a stationary food truck. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, Knowlton launched BB Take Home Kitchen last July and, with the help of her mother, Deb, now serves more than 500 meals per month. Near the beginning of each month she’ll post the new menu with items available for pickup on designated weeks. All orders can be picked up on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the truck’s regular spot (185 Main St., Hopkinton), with pre-orders closing the Sunday before. Popular meals as of late have included butternut squash lasagna, ponzu pork meatballs, roasted cauliflower soup, teriyaki salmon with sushi rice, and lemon chicken with rice and vegetables. BB Take Home Kitchen also offers a different family-style meal for pickup on the first Friday of each month, like chicken pot pie or braised beef ragu with pasta.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A really sharp chef’s knife, because you can utilize it for everything.

What would you have for your last meal?

For me, it would have to be either sushi … or the beef ragu that my mom makes for me on special occasions.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I like The Coach House in New London, which has the best salmon. I also like The Barley House [Restaurant & Tavern in Concord]. I get their squash salad with the green lentils on it and add shrimp.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from you?

[Food Network’s] Michael Symon is my favorite Iron Chef. Or, if I were to get on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, that would be one of the coolest things ever.

What is your favorite menu item that you have ever offered?

I think it’s probably the teriyaki salmon, which I did a couple of weeks ago. It’s just a super-vibrant dish and I was really happy with the way it came out.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I feel like it’s either farm-to-table or craft beer.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

My mom made chicken and gravy with rice all the time when I was a kid. I’ve served it on the menu and I also cook it at home.

Chicken korma marinade
Courtesy of Emily Knowlton of BB Take Home Kitchen in Hopkinton

2 pounds of any kind of chicken (thighs, breasts, etc.)
½ cup cashews, unsalted
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup plain yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a big blender or food processor (it will be a thick-ish paste) and marinate chicken overnight before cooking.

Food & Drink

Farmers markets

• Cole Gardens Winter Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Cole Gardens (430 Loudon Road, Concord), now through April 17. Visit colegardens.com.

• Danbury Winter Market is Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Blazing Star Grange Hall (15 North Road, Danbury), now through April. Visit blazingstargrange.org.

• Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to noon, inside the Families in Transition building (20 S. Main St.), next to the Concord Food Co-op. Find them on Facebook @downtownconcordwinterfarmersmarket.

• Salem Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to noon, inside the former Rockler Woodworking building (369 S. Broadway, Salem). Visit salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

Featured photo: Emily Knowlton of BB Take Home Kitchen in Hopkinton, with mother Deb. Courtesy photo.

Fresh paint

Restored furniture store to open in Plaistow

Kerri Durkee of Atkinson is taking her upcycled furniture business to the next level with a new storefront, opening Saturday, March 6, in the Plaistow Commons strip mall. Better Than Before Home Furnishings & Design will feature used furnishings and home decor, restored and repainted by Durkee.

“It’s just amazing what a coat of paint will do for an ugly or scratched up or water-stained piece of furniture,” Durkee said. “It just brings it right up to date.”

It all started at a yard sale, she said, where she fell in love with a bench that was “old and dirty and kind of a mess,” but too unique to pass up. She took it home and cleaned it up, repainted it and replaced the fabric on the seat cushion.

“I posted a picture of it on social media, and somebody said they wanted to buy it,” she said. “I think that’s when I caught the bug.”

She started picking up more pieces at yard sales, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, estate sales and from anyone she knew who was looking to get rid of a piece of furniture.

“I ended up filling my whole garage with them,” she said “I haven’t been able to get my car in my garage for years now.”

Now a certified decorator and home stager, Durkee did home design and furniture painting as a side gig for 10 years before quitting her job in marketing four years ago to pursue it full time.

“A switch went off in my head, and I was like, ‘What am I waiting for, to do something that I love? Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed,’” she said.

Durkee ran her business online but kept an eye open for a retail space where she could showcase her furniture to customers in person. When she came across the space in the Plaistow Commons strip mall, she had some concerns about opening a store during the pandemic but was reassured by the success her business had seen over the last year.

“With people being at home more, a lot of them are adding new home offices and workspaces or are just generally sick of their furnishings and want to make some changes,” she said.

Customers will find a mix of traditional, coastal, farmhouse, floral and shabby chic styles as well as unpainted furniture for which they can choose a color and style. The storefront will also serve as a hub for Durkee’s home design consultation and custom furniture restoration and painting services as well as furniture painting workshops for people who want to learn the craft themselves.

“I think a lot of people have pieces at home that they want to use that need a little update, and they’d like to be able to do it themselves but don’t necessarily know the process,” Durkee said.

Durkee said she hopes Better than Before and the furniture painting workshops will raise awareness about the benefits of upcycling and encourage more people to think twice before tossing their old furniture or home decor.

“If something is still functional, I think it’s great to be green and give it a new coat of paint rather than filling up the dump sites with it,” she said.

Better Than Before Home Furnishings & Design
Address: Plaistow Commons strip mall, 160 Plaistow Road, Unit 3, Plaistow
Hours: Grand opening Saturday, March 6. Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday by appointment
More info: Call 479-3041 or visit betterthanbefore.co

Featured photo: Better Than Before Home Furnishings & Design in Plaistow. Courtesy photo.

Art

Call for Art

• NHAA SPRING JURYING The New Hampshire Art Association accepts new members. Jurying takes place on Mon., March 22. For a prospectus and application form, visit nhartassociation.org and click on “Become a Member.” Applications and application fee payment are due by Thurs., March 18, and can be submitted online or in person at the NHAA headquarters (136 State St., Portsmouth). Instructions for dropping off and picking up artwork will be emailed after an application and payment is received. Call 431-4230.

• MAGNIFY VOICES EXPRESSIVE ARTS CONTEST Kids in grades 5 through 12 may submit creative may submit a short film (2 minutes or less); an original essay or poem (1000 words or less); or a design in another artistic medium such as a painting, song or sculpture that expresses their experience or observations of mental health in New Hampshire. Art pieces will be showcased to help raise awareness, decrease stigma and discrimination, and affect change to ensure socially and emotionally healthy growth for all children in New Hampshire. Submission deadline is March 31. Prize money will be awarded for grades 5 through 8 and grades 9 through 12. A celebration will take place in May, date TBD. Email [email protected].

• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce are seeking professional sculptors for year-round outdoor public art exhibit set up in Concord’s downtown. Must be age 18 or older. Submit up to two original sculptures for consideration. Submission deadline is March 31. Sculptors will be notified of their acceptance by April 30. Installation will begin on May 21. Exhibit opens in June. Selected sculptors will receive a $500 stipend. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email [email protected].

Classes & lectures

• “NORMAN ROCKWELL AND FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT” Jane Oneail presents a lecture. Part of Concord’s Walker Lecture Series. Virtual, via Zoom. Wed., March 17, 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Call 333-0035 or visit walkerlecture.org.

• GENERAL ART CLASSES In-person art classes for all levels and two-dimensional media. held with small groups of two to five students. Private classes are also available. Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester). Students are asked to wear masks in the gallery. Tuition costs $20 per group class and $28 per private class, with payment due at the beginning of the class. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com for availability.

• DRAWING & PAINTING CLASSES Art House Studios, 66 Hanover St., Suite 202, Manchester. Classes include Drawing Fundamentals, Painting in Acrylic, Drawing: Observation to Abstraction, Exploring Mixed Media, and Figure Drawing. Class sizes are limited to six students. Visit arthousestudios.org.

Exhibits

• “THE VIEW THROUGH MY EYES” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by pastel artist Chris Reid. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through March 18. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “ON THE BRIGHT SIDE” New Hampshire Art Association features works by multiple artists in a variety of media. On view now through March 28, in person at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and online. Gallery hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Online opening reception to be held on Friday, March 5, at 6:30 p.m., via Zoom. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Tours

• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.

Theater Shows

• GIDION’S KNOT Theatre Kapow presents. Virtual, live streamed. March 5 through March 7, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit tkapow.com.

• A TEMPEST PRAYER New Hampshire Theatre Project’s SoloStage program presents. Fri., March 19, and Sat., March 20, 8 p.m., and Sun., March 21, 2 p.m. Performances held virtually and in-person at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth. In-person show tickets cost $30, and virtual show tickets cost $20. Call 431-6644 or visit nhtheatreproject.org.

• FIFTH ANNUAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL New Hampshire Theatre Project presents. Five storytellers tell traditional and personal tales inspired by NHTP’s 2020 – 2021 MainStage theme “What Are You Waiting For?” Featuring Diane Edgecomb, Pat Spalding, Simon Brooks, Sharon Jones and Maya Williams; with special guest host Genevieve Aichele and musical accompaniment by Randy Armstrong. Sat., April 10, 7 p.m. The Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. Tickets cost $36. Call 431-6644 or visit nhtheatreproject.org.

• ZOOM PLAY FESTIVAL Presented by Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative and Community Players of Concord. Features short original plays by New Hampshire playwrights. Fri., April 16. Virtual. See Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative on Facebook or email [email protected].

• THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW: A PUPPET PARODY at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Sat., April 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• ROTARY PARK PLAY FESTIVAL Presented by Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative and Community Players of Concord. Features short original plays by New Hampshire playwrights. Sat., May 29, and Sun., May 30. Outdoors at Rotary Park, 30 Beacon St., E. Laconia. See Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative on Facebook or email [email protected].

• TRUE TALES LIVE Monthly showcase of storytellers. Held virtually via Zoom. Last Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., January through June, and September through December. Visit truetaleslivenh.org.

Classical

• CONCORD COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL FACULTY CONCERT Part of Concord’s Walker Lecture Series. Virtual, via Concord TV (Channel 22, or stream at yourconcordtv.org). Wed., April 21. 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Call 333-0035 or visit walkerlecture.org.

Voices raised

Youth artwork highlights mental health issues

New Hampshire middle school and high school students are invited to submit original artwork centered around mental health for the Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest, which includes a showcase of the finalists’ pieces to be held during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Michele Watson, New Hampshire Family Network Coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and one of the organizers of the contest, discussed children’s mental health in the state and how youth are using art to raise awareness of and destigmatize mental illness.

What are the biggest mental health issues affecting youth in New Hampshire right now?

Anxiety and depression are some of the biggest that we’re seeing right now. Anxiety is through the roof, especially during the pandemic this year. There are many children [having mental health issues] now who have never had them before. For some, it’s so bad that they won’t go to school. They don’t even want to come out of their room.

How is art useful for addressing those and other children’s mental health issues?

Art lets children express themselves in a way that they may not be able to do in a conversation. Instead of just talking about it, they can show it and demonstrate it. It’s good not only for them to be able to share their voice, but also because it gives [adults] a better understanding of what they are feeling.

What kinds of art pieces does the contest feature?

We’ve had a range of videos. … In one video, a group of students each wrote a diagnosis on their forehead, and at the end of the video, they erased the words from their forehead, and the message was, ‘I’m not my diagnosis.’ We had another video where a boy who has ADHD is sitting in a classroom, and the teacher is talking, and the video is showing everything else that he is aware of rather than paying attention to what the teacher is saying. … We also had a lot of poems both years. One poem that really stood out to me was a middle schooler talking about her anxiety being like a tornado that would wrap around her tighter and tighter. … One of the art pieces was a drawing, where the student drew her inner self and her outer self to show how they don’t match and how what people see from the outside is not what she is actually feeling on the inside.

Where does public awareness of and response to children’s mental health issues in New Hampshire stand as of now?

It’s so much better than it was in years past. We never used to talk about this stuff. No one wanted to say that something was wrong with their child. … If you want to look at the silver lining of the pandemic, [children’s mental health] has gotten so much more attention. … Schools are really learning a lot and educating their staff, and more people are starting to understand that kids can’t learn if they’re struggling emotionally and mentally. … The kids are also doing a much better job of sharing all of this.

How can it be improved within the school and home?

A big part of this is identifying if this [behavior] is ‘just a teenager thing’ or ‘just a kid thing’ or if it’s something that’s leading to a bigger crisis … because a lot of times, the parents or caregivers don’t know. They think [the child] is choosing [that behavior] versus [having a mental health issue], and they don’t take it as seriously as they should. There’s a lack of understanding, like, ‘Oh, it’s just a phase. They’ll get over it. Everybody has anxiety.’ We hear [statements] like that a lot. Well, yes, everybody does have anxiety, but not everybody has debilitating anxiety where they can’t even walk into a classroom without getting butterflies and feeling like they’re going to be sick. … We have an information and resource line, both through email and an 800 number, where families and schools or anybody can get help identifying those needs earlier on. We do a lot of training [programs] to help families … [where] we teach about brain science and about different diagnoses and how … they can better support their children and how to deal with these situations.

How can it be improved on a state level?

We need more mental health care providers. Families have a hard time getting in [to see one]. They might have a six-month wait to get their child an appointment. … If a child [has] to be taken to the emergency room, there can be a very long wait to actually get a bed in a mental health facility. We’ve had up to 48 kids around the state in emergency rooms waiting, and some of them had to wait up to two weeks. We need to do a better job of identifying [mental health crises] before they get to that point, and if they do, we need to be able to get [children] the help they need sooner than they’re getting it now.

Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest
The contest is open to youth in grades 5 through 12. Submissions must be related to mental health and may include a short film (under 2 minutes), an essay or poem (under 1,000 words), a song or a two- or three-dimensional art piece. The deadline is March 31. Visit tinyurl.com/magnifyvoices2021

Featured photo: Michele Watson

Erofili Roesel

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Definitely a knife.

What would you have for your last meal?

A spaghetti and feta pizza. … It’s something we have on the menu that my mom created back in the day.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

We’ve been going to The Red Blazer [Restaurant and Pub in Concord] for the longest time. I get the chicken Parm there.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your restaurant?

Adam Sandler.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The cheese pizza is something we have all the time. I like simple stuff.

What’s the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

The steak and cheese sub, just because it has so many variations, and the gyro also seems to be upcoming as well. We have a beef strip or a grilled chicken option for our gyros.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I like a simple piece of grilled chicken with Greek olive oil, oregano and some lemon, and then some mashed potatoes.

Homemade grilled chicken and mashed potatoes
From the at-home kitchen of Erofili Roesel of Brookside House of Pizza in Loudon

3 pieces chicken breast, butterflied
5 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup milk
½ stick butter
Dash of fresh oregano
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 fresh squeezed lemon
Greek olive oil

Cook chicken breasts on the stove top in a cast iron pan, with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add oregano, salt, pepper and lemon. Boil the peeled and cubed potatoes until soft. Blend potatoes with milk, butter, salt and pepper. (Optional: Add another squirt of lemon when chicken is done).

Food & Drink

Farmers markets

• Cole Gardens Winter Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Cole Gardens (430 Loudon Road, Concord), now through April 17. Visit colegardens.com.

• Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market is Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon, in the Families in Transition building (20 S. Main St.). Find them on Facebook.

• Rolling Green Winter Farmers Market’s final dateis Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Rolling Green Nursery (64 Breakfast Hill Road, Greenland). Visit rollinggreennursery.com.

• Salem Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to noon, inside the former Rockler Woodworking building (369 S. Broadway, Salem). Visit salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

Featured photo: Erofili Roesel

Distanced discourse

Walker Lecture Series goes virtual

After canceling its events in 2020, the Walker Lecture Series will return for its 124th spring season with weekly virtual events every Wednesday from March 3 through April 21.

The Concord-based series, traditionally held at the Concord City Auditorium, features free performances and lectures on history, travel, art and science topics. This spring’s virtual events will be hosted by Concord TV, some pre-recorded and aired on the city’s public access TV channel, and some livestreamed over Zoom.

“[When Covid hit,] we were thrown for a loop just like everyone else [was], and we didn’t know what the future would hold,” Walker Lecture Series trustee Jon Kelly said, “but we’re dealing with that reality now. We’re embracing it with a spirit of experimentation.”

The series kicks off with “Banjos, Bones, and Ballads,” where local musician and historian Jeff Warner will perform and discuss traditional New England tavern music, hymns, sailor songs and more.

“He plays old-time music on the banjo, the spoons, the washboard and the bones, just like people did in the 19th century,” Kelly said. “He’s a lot of fun.”

The following week, mentalist and author of Psychic Blues Mark Edward will present a lecture, “Psychics, Mediums, and Mind Readers: How do they do it?”

“He talks about the fraudulence of people who pretend they can talk to the dead and encourages people to use critical thinking to examine the trick nature of it before they believe that someone has magical powers,” Kelly said. “I think our audience will be really interested in that.”

Other programs in this spring’s Walker Lecture Series will include an art lecture on Frank Lloyd Wright and Norman Rockwell; a history lecture on New Hampshire revolutionaries John Stark and Henry Dearborn; an author event with Michael Tougias, discussing his memoir The Waters Between Us; a nature program about bears; travelogues about Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska and the deserts, coastline and safari parks of Namibia; and a faculty concert by Concord Community Music School.

“We try to choose programs that will be edifying for the audience, but we also want it to be fun,” Kelly said. “We want [the topics] to be things that people will enjoy and like.”

The Walker Lecture Series has also planned and released the schedule for its fall season, which will run Sept. 22 through mid-December. Though it remains to be seen whether the series will be held virtually or in person, Kelly said he is hopeful that in-person events will be possible.

“People have done well with socialization over Zoom, but I am nostalgic for the days when people would all pile in the City Auditorium and get there early and talk with their neighbors in the lobby,” he said. “I’m choosing to be optimistic that we’ll be able to have that in the fall.”

Walker Lecture Series spring season
When: Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., March 3 through April 21
Where: Virtual, on Concord TV (Channel 22, or stream at yourconcordtv.org), YouTube and Zoom, depending on the program
Cost: Free and open to all; no tickets or reservations required
More info: Call 333-0035 or visit walkerlecture.org

“Banjos, Bones, and Ballads” with Jeff Warner
March 3 on Concord TV

“Psychics, Mediums, and Mind Readers: How do they do it?” with Mark Edward
March 10 on Zoom

“Norman Rockwell and Frank Lloyd Wright” with Jane Oneail
March 17 on Zoom

“Autumn in Denali” and “The World of the Bear” with Tom Sterling
March 24 on Concord TV

“Two New Hampshire Men from the American Revolution: John Stark and Henry Dearborn” with George Morrison
March 31 on Zoom

“Growing Up Wild in the ’60s and ’70s” with Mike Tougias
April 7 on Zoom

“The Road to Namibia” with Rick Ray
April 14 on Zoom

Concord Community Music School Faculty Concert
April 21 on Concord TV

Featured photo: The Walker Lecture Series opens with “Banjos, Bones, and Ballads” by Jeff Warner on Wednesday, March 3. Courtesy photo.

Got you covered

The latest recommendations for proper mask use

State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan gives an update on best mask-wearing practices.

What types of masks are the most effective?

If people can find masks that are two or three layers, that’s preferred over single-layer masks. Oftentimes, we see homemade masks being one piece of fabric, so we encourage people to … double up on the fabric they’re using, or to look for store-bought masks, most of which are made of multiple layers. … If you’re using a neck gaiter and it’s only a single layer, folding the neck gaiter in half is a very simple way of adding another layer of fabric … but we would go even further and say that neck gaiters are probably not the best type of mask to use. … The other key point is that masks should be well-fitted. … The whole goal of wearing a mask is to not let your respiratory drops escape, and to not let somebody else’s respiratory drops come in, so if there are gaps, that’s going to cause the mask to be less effective. Ideally, all of the air you breathe out and breathe in should be filtered through the fabric.

How can people ensure a good fit with their masks?

I think the first and easiest way is to simply use masks that have a nose wire so it can be pinched and cinched down around the nose to prevent any gaps that can occur between somebody’s nose and cheek area. … To eliminate gaps on the sides of the mask, there are different mask fitters and mask braces that can be used to better form the mask to the face. … Double-masking is another strategy. … Its primary purpose is to get a better fit [by] eliminating the gaps … but there’s also the added benefit that it has multiple layers.

What is double-masking?

When we’re talking about double-masking, we’re talking about wearing a reusable cloth mask and a disposable mask. … The way it’s being promoted and recommended by CDC … is that people should wear the disposable mask against the face, and then the cloth mask over that, so the cloth mask helps to compress the disposable mask against the face. … CDC does not recommend combining other types of masks.

Are two masks always better than one?

We’re not universally recommending that everybody should be walking around wearing two masks. What we are recommending is that … they upgrade their mask to one that’s better-fitting … and double-masking is just one option for people to get a better fit with their mask.

Is it safe for kids to double-mask?

I think the goal here is to focus on getting kids to wear at least one mask. … For young children two years of age and older — we and CDC continue to recommend that masks not be put on children under the age of 2 — wearing masks can take some training and some practice … but it can be done.

What’s the deal with N95 masks?

N95 masks are generally medical-grade masks that should be reserved for health care providers caring for sick patients and patients with Covid-19 in the hospital, and for people in health care settings. There are over-the-counter [KN95] masks that may be constructed of comparable material to an N95 mask … but aren’t appropriate or certified for medical use. … A KN95 mask is certainly an option … but we’re not recommending that … over another well-fitted procedural-type mask.

Is there any reason someone should not wear a KN95 mask?

One of the downsides of KN95 masks and some of those thicker types of masks is that there’s more resistance to breathing in and out, which can make it harder for some people to breathe. That’s part of the reason we’re not universally recommending that everybody wear KN95 masks.

At what point should a mask be thrown away?

It partly depends on … how long they’re wearing it during the day. [It’s different], for example, for somebody who is in school and wearing their mask all day … [than for] someone who wants to run into a grocery store for a half an hour. … The general recommendation is that when the mask is soiled or saturated, or the person is having a hard time breathing through it … and the fabric has lost its filtration efficacy, it should be discarded and replaced. … If you wear a disposable mask for an extended period of time, use a new one the next day. If it’s a reusable cloth mask, make sure you’re taking it home and washing it.

Is it really necessary to wear a mask outdoors?

It’s still recommended that people wear masks outdoors if they’re going to be around other people … but there’s some discretion involved. … If … there are two people sitting down 10 feet from each other, then it’s probably not necessary for them to wear a mask the whole time, but if you’re with a group of people mingling or moving around, absolutely [wear a mask].

Is there anything else you want people to know about proper mask-wearing?

I think the focus right now should be, one, that people wear at least one mask … and two, that people upgrade their single-layer masks to ones that are better-fitted. … A CDC study … showed that, if two people are together and one of them has Covid-19, when both people are wearing masks [that] are well-fitted, exposure can be reduced by more than 95 percent. — Angie Sykeny

Featured photo: Dr. Benjamin Chan, MD.

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