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Bird Flu Concerns Make Masks Hot Commodity.
Oct. 6, 2005
As concerns over a bird flu epidemic surge, some people are seeking reassurance by getting prepared
with cover — face coverage.
Manufacturers and distributors of the so-called nanomask say that with every report of bird flu concerns,
sales spike. The masks, specifically designed to keep out biological hazards, including the bird flu virus,
started selling swiftly following the comments last week of U.N. health chief David Nabarro who said that a
mutation of the virus affecting Asia could trigger new, widespread outbreaks.
And with every new report about the virus, people buy more masks.
"We currently are attempting to produce between 100,000 and 200,000 masks a week," said Doug
Beplate, founder and president of Emergency Filtration Products, based in Henderson, Nev. "Now they're
going out as soon as we make them. I don't see us catching up to the demand in the near future."
Better Than n95 Standard?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that health care workers who handle
contagious patients, including those infected by SARS and the avian flu, wear masks that meet the n95
rating under the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This means that the
respirators filter out at least 95 percent of airborne particles during testing using a "most-penetrating"
sized particle of 0.3 microns.
"Research indicates that n95 respirators provides higher protection than a standard surgical mask," said
Roland Berry Ann, acting program manager for respiratory protection at NIOSH. "The fit of the mask is
also very important. Workers have to keep in mind if you can breathe around the mask, then the filter isn't
going to help."
Beplate claims his masks do better thanks to a coating that reacts to contaminants at the mask surface.
He says that electric charges within the nanoparticle coating and among a contaminant react, rendering
the contaminant inactive.
"It works kind of like a magnet," Beplate said, but declined to go into further detail, citing copyright
concerns.
Oct. 6, 2005
As concerns over a bird flu epidemic surge, some people are seeking reassurance by getting prepared
with cover — face coverage.
Manufacturers and distributors of the so-called nanomask say that with every report of bird flu concerns,
sales spike. The masks, specifically designed to keep out biological hazards, including the bird flu virus,
started selling swiftly following the comments last week of U.N. health chief David Nabarro who said that a
mutation of the virus affecting Asia could trigger new, widespread outbreaks.
And with every new report about the virus, people buy more masks.
"We currently are attempting to produce between 100,000 and 200,000 masks a week," said Doug
Beplate, founder and president of Emergency Filtration Products, based in Henderson, Nev. "Now they're
going out as soon as we make them. I don't see us catching up to the demand in the near future."
Better Than n95 Standard?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that health care workers who handle
contagious patients, including those infected by SARS and the avian flu, wear masks that meet the n95
rating under the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This means that the
respirators filter out at least 95 percent of airborne particles during testing using a "most-penetrating"
sized particle of 0.3 microns.
"Research indicates that n95 respirators provides higher protection than a standard surgical mask," said
Roland Berry Ann, acting program manager for respiratory protection at NIOSH. "The fit of the mask is
also very important. Workers have to keep in mind if you can breathe around the mask, then the filter isn't
going to help."
Beplate claims his masks do better thanks to a coating that reacts to contaminants at the mask surface.
He says that electric charges within the nanoparticle coating and among a contaminant react, rendering
the contaminant inactive.
"It works kind of like a magnet," Beplate said, but declined to go into further detail, citing copyright
concerns.
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