Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) has become an everyday essential that your flexible spending account (FSA) has long overlooked. Luckily, there’s been a big change. Now you can defend against the spread of COVID-19 with all new FSA eligible masks, hand sanitizer, and hand sanitizing wipes now available at FSAstore.com!
With over 200 million Americans fully vaccinated as of January 2022 (CDC) (roughly 64% of the total U.S. population) COVID-19 still remains a public health threat, especially to our elderly and immunocompromised loved ones. That means that protecting yourself by preventing the spread of germs and bacteria is a step we can all take in the fight against the threat of COVID-19.
When considering your newly eligible PPE purchases, keep these helpful tips in mind to help slow the spread:
Hand Sanitizer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands with soap and water to reduce the transmission of germs, but when not accessible, hand sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60%-95% are an effective way to prevent the spread of germs.
Generally, only hand sanitizers that contain 60% alcohol or more will be eligible for reimbursement, but as always, be sure to check with your benefits administrator regarding your specific plan.
Masks
Those with COVID-19 who do not develop symptoms (otherwise referred to as asymptomatic) and those who aren't yet showing symptoms, or pre-symptomatic, can still spread the virus to others, according to the CDC. Wearing a mask and using other personal protective equipment can prevent spreading to others.
Hand Sanitizing Wipes
Sanitizing wipes make it easy to regularly disinfect your hands. They can be an effective solution for reducing the risk of cross-contamination, or the spreading of germs and bacteria.
Experiencing symptoms?
If you experience COVID-19 symptoms and don't want to risk exposing others to the virus, you may consider keeping an at-home COVID-19 test handy. These allow you to use a nasal swab or saliva to collect a sample from the comfort of your home, and you can mail in the sample for your test results.
Find these handy at-home test kits and other virus essentials like no contact thermometers and more in our Virus Preparedness category where we carefully select the products to help you monitor your health and get the results you need, fast.
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