Another year has come to a close, a moment that always invites reflection. What will 2022 be remembered for? The global population passed the 8 billion mark. The James Webb telescope gave us a spectacular new view of our universe. The world rallied behind Ukraine, bid farewell to the Queen of England, said hello to startlingly convincing generative artificial intelligence—and is it safe to say we’ve achieved peak-pickleball? We found new ways to entertain ourselves with Wordle and TikTok (“My money don’t jiggle jiggle, it folds”) and the World Cup commanded global attention as few events can.
For Makana Masks, 2022 has been a big year, too. Here are some of our highlights.
We made progress:
The most exciting thing for our team was receiving independent confirmation that our newest mask exceeds the standards required by NIOSH for N95 certification. Makana is, to date, the first and only reusable half-face mask to achieve this milestone. With this pre-certification in place, we’re in the queue to be certified by NIOSH, giving us something even bigger to celebrate early in 2023.
We contributed:
We were honored to donate 6,597 masks (representing a financial contribution at over $165,000 dollars), to the people of Ukraine. Makana Masks and our CEO, David Mathews, are committed to making a difference in the health and safety of communities around the world.
We were in awe:
The recent eruption of Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, reminded us just how powerful a force nature can be. On November 27th, after 38 years of dormancy, Mauna Loa erupted dramatically—and fortunately without bringing harm to Hawaii’s residents or property. After two exciting weeks, Mauna Loa dozed back off—good news for air quality in the islands, but perhaps disappointing for lava-peepers.
We were optimistic:
If 2021 brought us back to school and work after a protracted pandemic shutdown, 2022 saw a return to the things that bring us joy: Travel, live music, and large-scale public gatherings of all kinds. Across the country and the world, friends and families gathered for the holidays after long years apart.
We were cautious:
A “triple threat” of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has bombarded our cities, with Strep A making things even more challenging. The CDC recommends staying up-to-date on Covid boosters and flu shots, and wearing a mask in high-transmission situations. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, states that wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.
We’re looking forward:
Airborne threats aren’t going away—and neither are we. In 2023, Makana Masks expects to become the first half-face reusable mask certified N-95 by NIOSH. We are pursuing numerous institutional alliances that aim to make the world a safer place, one breath at a time. And, of course, we’ll continue our tradition of institutional support of vulnerable, at-risk communities around the world.
Take a deep breath. Here comes 2023!
