SteveeRogerr Authors Abraar Karan
First, why do we even need high-filtration masks right now?
Increasingly, we are going to be (or already are) in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces- groceries, public transit, work, school etc
#covid19
Short\U0001f9f5
— Abraar Karan (@AbraarKaran) January 15, 2021
1/
So @CDCgov on their \u201cYour Guide to Masks\u201d has a section saying don\u2019t use N95s or surgical masks for the general public bc they are reserved for healthcare workers. That is their reason. They invoke a *shortage of supply* as their main rationalehttps://t.co/h6EnRo7Mge pic.twitter.com/81L30YziaR
2/ If can agree that we need these...what qualities should these masks have?
We talk about that in our @HarvardBiz piece on #BetterMasks
Fit
Filtration
Comfort
Affordability
Scalability
Style
#covid19
3/ Given huge delays in getting any of this done...what options are available right now, off the shelf?
One of these - elastomeric (eN95s) which are used in different industries and were used by some hospitals can get job done
4/ Many have pointed to the issue of the exhale valves-- actually, even this issue has been studied by CDC/NIOSH, report below
Apparently source control can still be better than surgical masks or cloth masks even w/ these
#covid19
They have actually recently studied this topic & found some surprising results here. \u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0fhttps://t.co/SgmAji7uzm pic.twitter.com/oM2npADeFo
— Abraar Karan (@AbraarKaran) January 15, 2021
5/ Additionally, many have rightfully mentioned KF94 and KN95s
There have been some issues around counterfeits
CDC has a list of some that have definitely run into these issues (check the list if you have any of these, may need to contact
COUNTERFEIT MASKS
— Abraar Karan (@AbraarKaran) January 14, 2021
As we keep pushing toward access to better masks, critical to avoid counterfeits on the market. I found a list here by CDC \u2014 these are mostly real KN95 manufacturers in China who have reported being counterfeited #covid19 https://t.co/c6hdDa8nqg pic.twitter.com/nAIpqfzBW0