They are presented as the miracle cure for all the supposed ailments of the mask.
With the “aerators”, also called “supports”, goodbye feeling of suffocation, acne, fog on the glasses and makeup smeared on the face.
These small plastic shells, to be placed under the mask, already popular in the United States, are starting to find a place in France.
But for what efficiency?
On sale on several sites like Amazon, these “aerators” are snapped up for around ten euros.
Among the arguments of the online sales giant, these plastic objects would allow those who wear them to "breathe better".
Then comes the protection of makeup, especially lipstick.
Finally, it would be an enemy of fog on glasses, a now well-known scourge.
The first to be interested in these small cages to be placed under the mask are the Americans, where the product has been seducing for several weeks already.
If at present no official study exists on these aerators, several doctors have warned about the risks of alteration of the protective capacities of masks against Covid-19.
“The support can make you feel like you can breathe easier.
But it really is a perception.
It should not let extra air in and out on the sides of the mask.
If so, your mask does not protect others, ”said recently an American epidemiologist, Donald Dumford, practitioner in Cleveland.
Another risk, according to doctors, causing irritation on the skin, due to the repeated rubbing of the plastic on the face.
A supposed "intoxication" with C02
In France, several brands of mask supports are on the market, such as Pharmasque, and more recently “Airplusplus”, launched by two young French people last July.
"It came from the observation that it was difficult to keep a mask for a long time", tells Parisian Mathias Vanoni, one of the creators of Airplusplus.
Their “infinitely reusable” product is currently on pre-order on their site.
It would allow you to "breathe much better with your mask", and "to avoid poisoning you with your respiratory emissions (CO2)".
Problem, according to Christian Lehmann, general practitioner, this scientific postulate is wrong.
“There is no intoxication with wearing a mask.
It's totally biased, ”insists the specialist.
As the World Health Organization has repeatedly said, this risk has never been proven.
“Prolonged use of medical masks can be uncomfortable, but it does not lead to CO2 poisoning or lack of oxygen.
When wearing a medical mask, make sure it fits properly and is tight enough to allow you to breathe normally.
Do not reuse a single-use mask and change it as soon as it gets wet ”, writes WHO in its column“ Putting an end to misconceptions ”.
An excellent anti-fog agent
“It's very factual, after an eight-hour shift, the people who wear the mask have migraines.
Co2 or no Co2 it doesn't matter, there is a before and an after with the aerator, answers Mathias Vanoni.
If we manage to renew the air better, we will inevitably have fewer migraine problems, or even acne ”.
The aerator has also proven to be an anti-fog agent, promises the creator of Airplusplus.
"It's a happy coincidence, it was not necessarily the first goal", rejoices Mathias Vanoni.
What about the risk of allowing air and droplets carrying the virus to pass through?
The product has not been submitted to medical examination.
“We did visualization tests of the air flow.
We see that we direct the air flow to the outside of the mask.
Above all, there is no doubt about the effectiveness of someone who takes off their mask every thirty seconds, ”says the entrepreneur.
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“The principle of the mask is that the filter is made through the fabric, with an electrostatic charge which keeps viruses away.
Anything that can change that is not good, ”recalls Thierry Fraslin, doctor, who wears a mask all day.
"And the nose naturally pulls the mask away from the mouth," he notes.
