[Wuhan pneumonia] Unidentified bulk masks are as thin as paper

Social News

Written by: Ouyang Dehao, Lao Minyi

2020-01-29 12:03

The pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan has continued to spread. The supply of masks in this port is in short supply. Pharmacies in various districts sell bulk masks of unknown origin, with an average price of 3 to 5 yuan each.

"Hong Kong 01" reporter purchased eight surgical masks from the pharmacy. The clerk claimed that the origin was from China, the Philippines, Japan, and Hong Kong, and some of them were unknown. The reporter then tested the light transmission of the mask, the water resistance of the surface layer, and the opening mask to understand its inner structure, and found that the quality was uneven. There are masks that are as thin as paper and almost completely transparent under the light. Although they have a three-layer structure, they are extremely poorly waterproof.

Some doctors worry that if the masks that were not individually packaged have been handled manually, and there is an outbreak in the local community, the masks may be contaminated. He suggested that if citizens use masks in the community, if there is no better mask option, "it is better to wear it than to wear it".

▼ "Hong Kong 01" test unknown bulk mask ▼

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To reduce the spread of germs, doctors recommend that people use medical surgical masks. Masks generally consist of three layers, with the top layer waterproof, the middle layer filtered, and the inner layer hygroscopic. "Hong Kong 01" reporter tested eight masks, of which six were packaged in plastic bags in the pharmacy. The average price of each mask was five to nine yuan, and the source of the mask was not listed. Some clerks did not specify the source of the mask. It is simply called "the Philippines belongs to the mainland." In addition, there are masks with rough packaging. Several non-independent packaging masks are packed in transparent plastic bags and sealed with a piece of adhesive paper. The packaging is very simple. The remaining two models are more well-known masks, one of which was previously rated as nine points out of ten by the Consumer Council.

Five yuan mask as thin as paper

The reporter tried to test the light transmission of the mask, the waterproof ability of the surface layer, and the deconstruction of its internal deconstruction. In terms of light transmission, the seven masks tested were not considered to be transparent. Only one mask that cost five yuan felt as thin as paper and did not stand up. It was almost completely transparent under the light and clearly visible. After the object, it can be seen that its thickness and texture are not satisfactory.

▼ "Hong Kong 01" internal structure of unknown bulk masks ▼

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Inferior masks penetrate the inner layer after spraying water

As for the waterproof ability of the surface of the mask, the reporter used ordinary spray bottles to simulate the sneezing effect. The waterproof ability of the surface of the mask was tested at a distance of 50 cm. It was found that the waterproof ability of the general mask was good, and the water droplets remained on the surface of the mask without any sign of infiltration. However, there is a mask with a price of five yuan showing signs of water leakage. A small amount of water droplets are also found from the inner layer, which is inferior to other masks. The reporter later cut the mask and found that it also had three layers of material, but each layer was as thin as paper. But it is interesting that the clerk claimed that the yellow masks of the same model but different colors were cut and found to have four layers of deconstruction, which is also five yuan, and the test performance was better.

In addition, the wire can keep the mask close to the bridge of the nose, and the bacteria cannot enter the body from the gap. Compared to the nine-point mask in the Consumer Council report, the wire of the five-yuan mask was found to be nearly twice as small. Based on various comparisons, the performance of this mask is unsatisfactory. The surface water resistance and the thickness of the wire are not ideal, which is the worst quality among the eight masks.

▼ Common mask styles for epidemic prevention ▼

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Doctor: Test the mask to see if the surface is waterproof

The chairman of the Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Medical Association said that the effectiveness of the mask cannot be judged by the thickness of the mask, but whether the texture of the mask is rough and whether the surface of the mask is waterproof. Test whether the droplets can be blocked, "if one layer is held, the others believe it won't."

The mask packaging sold by some pharmacies is uneven, and it is easy for bacteria to take advantage of it. Liang Zichao believes that masks are not completely sterilized, and he is worried that if the masks that were not individually packaged were handled manually, and there was an outbreak in the local community, the masks might be contaminated. He suggested that if citizens use masks in the community, if there is no better choice of masks, "it is better to wear them than to wear them". If citizens want to go to clinics or in high-risk areas, they must use a verified, more secure brand. Ideally, individually packaged masks should be used, but secondary masks must not be used by healthcare professionals. As for the thick metal strips of surgical masks, he thinks that they are not very different. The most important thing is to press tightly along the sides of the nose bridge to make the masks close to the face.

Faced with a shortage of community masks, even masks in private clinics are out of stock. Liang Zichao believes that private clinics can help divert non-emergency or non-high-risk patients in public hospitals, but when basic medical supplies are insufficient to prevent the nationwide epidemic, there are also many clinic staff who are afraid to start working because they are infected. Under the control of the loopholes, he feared that if the epidemic broke out in the clinic, the community would fall, and he hoped that the government would divert some masks for private clinics.

Liang Zichao said that in order to enter and leave the clinic and high-risk areas, he must wear a verified and relatively secure mask. (Profile picture)

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