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How face masks work
- Thread starter laksaboy
- Start date
face masks work more because it stops the droplets from an INFECTED person from going too far.
Remember that 50% of infected are asymptomatic and dont even know they have covid19.
If the droplets are stopped at the mask of an infected person, it means the chances that it reaches someone who is not infected is lower.
They got it all wrong. The order should be that EVERYONE out in public HAS TO WEAR a mask. Not optional.
Remember that 50% of infected are asymptomatic and dont even know they have covid19.
If the droplets are stopped at the mask of an infected person, it means the chances that it reaches someone who is not infected is lower.
They got it all wrong. The order should be that EVERYONE out in public HAS TO WEAR a mask. Not optional.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2018
- Messages
- 29,402
- Points
- 113
China's coronavirus supplies are being rejected — how do we ensure quality in a pandemic?
PHOTO Several countries have reported faults with Chinese-made medical equipment imported to fight COVID-19. REUTERS VIA CNSPHOTO
China's had a rough few months.
As the emerging superpower entered 2020, a coronavirus outbreak in the industrial hub of Wuhan swept the nation, then the world, which crippled the global economy in turn.
By March, things began to slowly turn around, as China's drastic lockdown measures appear to have slowed the country's infection rates.
This has placed China in a position to supply sorely needed medical products as coronavirus has shuttered production capacity elsewhere.
Chinese state media Xinhua reported in early March that China was producing 116 million masks daily, about 12 times as many as a month prior, according to official data.
But China's efforts to help haven't gone smoothly, as several countries have reported faults with Chinese-made supplies.
This began with Spain's recall of about 58,000 inaccurate rapid COVID-19 test kits late last week, and Turkey also casting aside a number of sample test kits that were faulty.
This was then followed last Saturday by a Dutch recall of some 600,000 face masks that didn't provide an airtight seal.
So, in a time of supply scarcity during a global pandemic, how do countries ensure the medical supplies they import actually work?
How did faulty equipment get to Europe?
PHOTO All products that are sold in the EU single market must carry "CE" certification. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
China's Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology was identified as the manufacturer of Spain's faulty test kits, which local health authorities said had an accuracy rate of about 30 per cent.
Spanish health authorities said they bought Bioeasy's kits as they had European Union standard certification, which is known by its French acronym, CE.
In a statement via WeChat, Bioeasy stated its coronavirus-related products, which include the rapid test kits supplied to Spain, received a CE certificate on March 12.
However, CE certification is mostly self-declared by manufacturers, as it is their responsibility to choose between self-certification or whether to seek an EU-approved independent verifier.
@bidatzi: The external certificate simply certifies that the company has a quality management system. The other one is just BioEasy itself *saying* that their tests comply with applicable standards.
In Australia, Bioeasy's products are not listed on the Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), nor has the company been granted an official vendor licence from China's National Administration of Medical Products, according to a tweet from the Spanish Embassy in China.
In response, Bioeasy said its crown series was not sold in China and was "only used for scientific purposes".
Bioeasy manager Zhu Hai denied the company's test kits had a low accuracy rate in a statement to the South China Morning Post, adding that a "more detailed explanation would be given via official Chinese Government channels".
When asked to comment on the quality concerns on Monday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying said "some masks" ordered by the Dutch "were not suitable for medical staff in intensive care units".
The Chinese Commerce Ministry followed up on Wednesday with a statement compelling all medical product exporters to provide extra documentation showing their products met the standards of its export destination, and were officially registered in China.
Bioeasy initially declined an interview with the ABC, but later shared a test validation report from researchers at Chile's Desarollo University, showing its Fluorescence Antigen rapid test attained 96.1 per cent diagnostic accuracy.
Are there universal standards for PPE or test kits?
PHOTO This N95 face mask is highly sought after by health systems across the globe. ABC NEWS: PATRICK STONE
Technically, there is a global mask standard from the International Standards Organisation (ISO), which outlines the test used to assess a mask's resistance to blood and bodily fluids (including that of small liquid droplets).
However, ISO has stated the test does not "address the performance of the medical face mask's design, construction, interfaces or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation".
To determine whether a product is safe to use, health professionals are obligated to look at regulations in their country or at a supranational level for blocs such as the EU.
For example, the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods has a database of approved medical items for distribution, and that database is updated by the regulatory body Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
On its website, the TGA has specified an exemption for the "importation, manufacture and supply" of COVID-19 test kits to accredited pathology laboratories even if they haven't undergone TGA assessment, and it has also published a list of tests it has approved.
A TGA spokesperson told the ABC via email the body "encourages" all Australians searching for equipment to look at "medical devices included in the ARTG".
Ian Burgess, chief executive of the Medical Technology Association of Australia, told the ABC that Australian medical product manufacturers were "in a position of strength" to respond to COVID-19.
This is to ensure that medical-grade masks such as N95 are available for those who need them the most, such as health workers in the US, which has become the world's latest coronavirus epicentre.
New Yorkers have recently been told to wear face coverings outside of the home, while the White House is considering implementing that rule across the US.
Steve Csiszar, chief executive at Med-Con — Australia's only manufacturer of medical face masks — told the ABC it was critical for people to find masks that meet official standards, otherwise there would be "a false sense of security".
Prior to the pandemic, Med-Con's masks made up 5 per cent of Australia's domestic supply, but the military has since been drafted to ramp up production.
Mr Csiszar said Australia had lost considerable homegrown manufacturing capacity to countries with cheap labour, which has consequences if medical manufacturers cost-cut further.
PHOTO Manufacturers need to be stringent about non-contamination when putting masks together. REUTERS: UMIT BEKTAS
"Quite frankly, I'd be very dubious about any low-cost manufacturer having their products tested to standard," he said.
Additional reporting by Samuel Yang.
China's had a rough few months.
As the emerging superpower entered 2020, a coronavirus outbreak in the industrial hub of Wuhan swept the nation, then the world, which crippled the global economy in turn.
By March, things began to slowly turn around, as China's drastic lockdown measures appear to have slowed the country's infection rates.
This has placed China in a position to supply sorely needed medical products as coronavirus has shuttered production capacity elsewhere.
Chinese state media Xinhua reported in early March that China was producing 116 million masks daily, about 12 times as many as a month prior, according to official data.
But China's efforts to help haven't gone smoothly, as several countries have reported faults with Chinese-made supplies.
This began with Spain's recall of about 58,000 inaccurate rapid COVID-19 test kits late last week, and Turkey also casting aside a number of sample test kits that were faulty.
This was then followed last Saturday by a Dutch recall of some 600,000 face masks that didn't provide an airtight seal.
So, in a time of supply scarcity during a global pandemic, how do countries ensure the medical supplies they import actually work?
How did faulty equipment get to Europe?
China's Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology was identified as the manufacturer of Spain's faulty test kits, which local health authorities said had an accuracy rate of about 30 per cent.
Spanish health authorities said they bought Bioeasy's kits as they had European Union standard certification, which is known by its French acronym, CE.
In a statement via WeChat, Bioeasy stated its coronavirus-related products, which include the rapid test kits supplied to Spain, received a CE certificate on March 12.
However, CE certification is mostly self-declared by manufacturers, as it is their responsibility to choose between self-certification or whether to seek an EU-approved independent verifier.
@bidatzi: The external certificate simply certifies that the company has a quality management system. The other one is just BioEasy itself *saying* that their tests comply with applicable standards.
In Australia, Bioeasy's products are not listed on the Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), nor has the company been granted an official vendor licence from China's National Administration of Medical Products, according to a tweet from the Spanish Embassy in China.
In response, Bioeasy said its crown series was not sold in China and was "only used for scientific purposes".
Bioeasy manager Zhu Hai denied the company's test kits had a low accuracy rate in a statement to the South China Morning Post, adding that a "more detailed explanation would be given via official Chinese Government channels".
When asked to comment on the quality concerns on Monday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying said "some masks" ordered by the Dutch "were not suitable for medical staff in intensive care units".
The Chinese Commerce Ministry followed up on Wednesday with a statement compelling all medical product exporters to provide extra documentation showing their products met the standards of its export destination, and were officially registered in China.
Bioeasy initially declined an interview with the ABC, but later shared a test validation report from researchers at Chile's Desarollo University, showing its Fluorescence Antigen rapid test attained 96.1 per cent diagnostic accuracy.
The ABC was unable to independently verify the data shared.
Are there universal standards for PPE or test kits?
Technically, there is a global mask standard from the International Standards Organisation (ISO), which outlines the test used to assess a mask's resistance to blood and bodily fluids (including that of small liquid droplets).
However, ISO has stated the test does not "address the performance of the medical face mask's design, construction, interfaces or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation".
To determine whether a product is safe to use, health professionals are obligated to look at regulations in their country or at a supranational level for blocs such as the EU.
For example, the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods has a database of approved medical items for distribution, and that database is updated by the regulatory body Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
On its website, the TGA has specified an exemption for the "importation, manufacture and supply" of COVID-19 test kits to accredited pathology laboratories even if they haven't undergone TGA assessment, and it has also published a list of tests it has approved.
A TGA spokesperson told the ABC via email the body "encourages" all Australians searching for equipment to look at "medical devices included in the ARTG".
The World Heath Organisation has also published a list of recommendations for PPE usage amid COVID-19.
Ian Burgess, chief executive of the Medical Technology Association of Australia, told the ABC that Australian medical product manufacturers were "in a position of strength" to respond to COVID-19.
Until now, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, like the World Health Organisation, has advised that healthy people do not need to wear a mask.
This is to ensure that medical-grade masks such as N95 are available for those who need them the most, such as health workers in the US, which has become the world's latest coronavirus epicentre.
New Yorkers have recently been told to wear face coverings outside of the home, while the White House is considering implementing that rule across the US.
Steve Csiszar, chief executive at Med-Con — Australia's only manufacturer of medical face masks — told the ABC it was critical for people to find masks that meet official standards, otherwise there would be "a false sense of security".
Prior to the pandemic, Med-Con's masks made up 5 per cent of Australia's domestic supply, but the military has since been drafted to ramp up production.
Mr Csiszar said Australia had lost considerable homegrown manufacturing capacity to countries with cheap labour, which has consequences if medical manufacturers cost-cut further.
"Quite frankly, I'd be very dubious about any low-cost manufacturer having their products tested to standard," he said.
He said that because masks use synthetic materials, masks not to standard also run the risk of introducing other pathogens that may be travelling with the raw materials, or the product.
The ABC has contacted the researchers cited by Bioeasy for comment.
Additional reporting by Samuel Yang.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2008
- Messages
- 63,856
- Points
- 113
Now that the authorities have SUDDENLY decided on this 50% figure what does that do for the modelling of the death rate?
So if we can round up 2000 people who test positive 1000 will have no symptoms whatsoever.
From the 2000 the 1000 that do have symptoms will consult a doctor. 80% have only mild symptoms and are told to stay home. That's 800.
That leaves 200 who are admitted. Lets say 40 of this 200 are over 70 and have underlying conditions. 5% of them die. 5% of 40 is a big fat 2.
2 deaths out of 2000 is 0.1%.
Now this is only from dissecting the outcomes from those who tested positive to start off with. There will be a huge number out there with good immune systems who fought off the bug, are genetically protected, caught it and got better etc etc.
So if these numbers just doubled the denominator when a truly random sample was taken that would bring the mortality rate down to 0.05%
However the figure of 2% to 3.4% is still being quoted all over the place in the mainstream media and millions of people are out of work because of this.
Tell me where my logic is wrong! I'll be happy to concede that I have made a big blunder.
Remember while the so called experts are doing all their fancy modelling millions are losing their jobs as we speak.
you are correct.
I suspect that the problem is the hospitals are overwhelmed. Or the doctors are.
It is not like all of a sudden they have a sudden doubling of doctors working at the ED or ICU.
As it is even with these added cases the EDs and ICUs are already very busy and work is tiring. Now you add more load to that. Of course they are tired. And tired doctors will complain and bitch and ask for more resources and help.
Meanwhile there are more deaths overall. Cos the system is tired. It cannot work as well. It cannot treat as well.
This is a medical problem. And you will only feel the impact if you go to the affected departments in the hospital.
What you dont see, is not happening right?
As I have said if the do the calculations and realize most cases are mild and that yes this is a medical capacity problem then to fix it , you hire more doctors, hire more nurses, convert existing facilities into hospitals to deal with the problem.
Look......if we kept the economy open, what is that worth? Trillions right?
How about we spend like a couple hundred more billion hiring more doctors to go work on the frontlines?
Those who are interested will go. Right now, I don't think many of us would be willing to spend time to go through new training in a dangerous environment and then get thrust into the frontlines of a war for practically altruistic reasons.
OR.....
Just tell all covid19 patients - sorry you will NOT be treated. Roll of the dice. Lady luck however is on your side if you are young and healthy. Stay home. Let nature take its course. Most of you will have mild symptoms. Some of you will suffer. But MOST of you will live.
Acceptable?
Meanwhile let the hospitals operate as per normal. No change to their usual load.
Available beds is one thing. How many staff do they have to work on how many beds?
I am not at hospital anymore these days. From experience during SARS though the ED quite quiet. We always wondered what happened to all the cholecystitis? Appedicitis? how come suddenly dont see them anymore? They just die at home? LOL!
So maybe that is the situation in some hospitals now.
So why is the media reporting like it is super overwhelmed at hospitals?
Fucking media lah.
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