backing n95 and kn95 masks, which offer the best protection. according to the c.d.c., a person wearing a cloth mask standing within six feet of an unmasked individual with covid, can become infected within 20 minutes, while it would take two and a half hours for a person wearing an n95 mask. a typical cloth mask might be 50% effective, and that was okay before. it doesn t seem to be enough with omicron. n95s offer much greater protection. they re able to block 95% of particles. reporter: still, there are signs that the surge of omicron infections may have crested in the northeast. cases are slowing down. the rate of increase is slowing down, but they re still high. reporter: with testing among the first line of defense, at-home testing kits remain in short supply and testing lines long. doctors warn: stay away from overcrowded hospitals. there s really no need dom to the emergency room just to be