Managing director of Aussie Pharma Direct at Baulkham Hills Daniel Seldon said we should all be wearing a much more efficient Personal Protective Equipment, better known as PPE.
Now when it comes to face masks, there is a distinct difference between the everyday ‘garden variety’ of surgical and cloth masks and a fitted P2 respirator.
Surgical and cloth masks provide a barrier to splashes, droplets and spittle, but do not filter small particles such as COVID-19 from the air.
Mr Seldon said standard surgical masks were made from melt-blown filters which use static electricity to capture dust and particles.
However, he said once they get moist from breathing, the filtering efficiency drops dramatically.
And an Interesting fact is surgical masks only offer one-way protection. That means you are giving some protection to others from your breath, but you are not protected from theirs.
“That’s a really important reason why you need to step up to a P2 respirator which provides two-way protection,” Seldon said
“The AMD P2 Nano-Tech Respirator is like a personal air purifier made from four layers of extremely fine nano-fibres that filter out 99.66% of airborne particles.
“The densely tangled nanostructure of the filter allows a single mask to be worn comfortably for up to 24 hours, offering long lasting protection, peace of mind and excellent breathability.
“Thinking outside the box, wouldn’t it be great if the government provided free or discounted medical grade P2 face masks in a system not unlike the Dine and Discover vouchers,” Mr Seldon said.
“It would be money well spent for the government, as quality face masks are highly efficient in stopping the transmission of the coronavirus which means we can keep Australia open for business.
“Loose fitting surgical and cloth masks with gaps around the face, are really not up to the job. P2 masks are designed to fit snugly to the face with no gaps, so no errant pathogens can slip through, making them a much safer option.
“The medical community agrees that the virus is airborne and the Delta strain is approximately three times more contagious than the first generation of COVID-19, yet people are still wearing insufficient surgical and cloth masks.
“P2 is the Australian standard, however, more than half of the imported N95 masks have been found to be either faulty or fake. If well trained procurement professionals can’t pick the difference, then what hope does the general public have?
“With Australian made P2s we know they are up to standard as the Therapeutic Goods Administration conducts regular random checks to ensure they are what they claim to be,” Mr Seldon said.
Nano-technology – the future of PPE
He said masks and respirators were arguably the most important PPE in the fight against COVID-19.
And PPE incorporating nanotechnology is at the cutting-edge of protection against airborne transmissions.
“Nano-technology is one of the most exciting and fast moving areas of science today and respirators, such as the Australian manufactured AMD P2 Nano-Tech Respirators are at the leading edge of this innovation,” he said.
“By incorporating nanofibre filters, they create stronger, lighter, more comfortable and breathable protection with significantly higher filtration than regular masks with a melt blown filter,” Mr Seldon said.
Plentiful supply
Best of all, as the AMD masks are manufactured in Baulkham Hills, there is no issue with supply with four million in stock and capacity to ramp up production to manufacture one million per week.
