Sept. 24, 2020 — Up to 70% of N95 masks licensed in China do not satisfy U.S. expectations for performance, the nonprofit affected individual basic safety organization ECRI warned this week.

“Due to the fact of the dire situation, U.S. hospitals purchased hundreds of thousands of masks generated in China above the earlier six months, and we are finding that numerous usually are not safe and efficient from the spread of COVID-19,” Marcus Schabacker, MD, ECRI president and CEO, reported in a assertion.

ECRI high quality assurance researchers tested virtually 200 N95-model masks, reflecting fifteen distinctive manufacturer designs purchased by some of the premier wellness devices in the United States.

They located that 60% to 70% of the imported masks – acknowledged as KN95 masks — that had not been licensed by the Countrywide Institute for Occupational Protection and Health (NIOSH), do not as successfully filter particles from the air. They are “noticeably inferior” to NIOSH-licensed N95s, the report suggests. These masks did not filter 95% of aerosol particulates, despite what their name indicates.

“Applying masks that will not satisfy U.S. expectations places clients and frontline health care personnel at hazard of an infection. As ECRI research exhibits, we strongly advocate that wellness treatment vendors going ahead do far more due diligence before obtaining masks that usually are not designed or licensed in The usa,” Schabacker reported.

In accordance to ECRI, U.S. domestic creation capacity for N95s has enhanced noticeably, but there remain prevalent boundaries on how numerous can be purchased.

The organization suggests non-NIOSH-licensed masks need to only be utilized as a “final resort” when treating COVID-19 clients and only when NIOSH-licensed N95s or other respirators supplying comparable or improved protection are not offered.

“KN95 masks that will not satisfy U.S. regulatory expectations nonetheless typically supply far more respiratory protection than surgical or cloth masks and can be utilized in specific scientific settings,” Michael Argentieri, ECRI vice president for technologies and basic safety, reported in the assertion.

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