8 ms·
I have a box of n95 masks I bought a few years back while living in Singapore (there is an annual smoke “haze” there from neighboring countries burning forest t
by jtms 7y ago
I have a box of n95 masks I bought a few years back while living in Singapore (there is an annual smoke “haze” there from neighboring countries burning forest to clear land for palm oil production). I tried to give them to a nurse to distribute to other medical staff, but they couldn’t use them because they are a year or so beyond the expiration. News to me that masks even have an expiration date.
- s0rce 7y agoPretty much everything has an expiry date because the manufacturer has guaranteed its still effective up to that date. Doing that requires time and money. This doesn't mean the masks doesn't work after the expiry date (although it might be less effective) simply that the performance isn't guaranteed and most likely hasn't been tested sufficiently.
- dempseye 7y agoAsk them again in a week.
- 1996 7y agoOr make the offer right now to health workers who've been it's perfectly fine to interact with covid patients without any mask. Perfection is the enemy of the good. The amount of medical waste is shocking - as if tools went from 100% effective 100% safe to 0% effective 100% at midnight. I suppose there is a strong cover-your-ass factor at play, that can only be overridden when they have some skin in the game (as in, risk being infected due to 0 mask)
- dahart 7y agoIt’s not likely to change in a week. U.S. hospitals are required by law to not use expired products.
- kps 7y ago“CDC/NIOSH believes the following products, despite being past their manufacturer-designated shelf life, should provide the expected level of protection… “3M 1860; 3M 1870; 3M 8210; 3M 9010; 3M 8000; Gerson 1730; Medline/Alpha Protech NON27501; Moldex 1512; Moldex 2201.” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/release-stockpiled-N95.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/release-stockpiled...