3 ms·

$10 per mask is outrageous for a mask that only really lasts less than a day before becoming ineffective.

ch4s3 6y ago
Who pays for factories to purchase new equipment and hire more workers to produce more masks then? The companies selected by the government to do so have more or less flopped, as they had more political connections than skill in producing masks.
gizmo686 6y ago
How do you define outrageous? The shortage is because of how short they last (and the massive spike in demand). If that is the price it takes for supply to meet demand, I can see calling it unnaceptable, but I don't see how it is outrageous, unless you can point to some other decision that led to the cost being nessasary. In practice, I don't think $10/mast is unnaceptable. That is about 15 minutes worth of an ICU nurse's time[0]. In terms of costs that this pandemic is causing, even "expensive" masks are a cheep. [0] https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-ICU-Registered-Nurse-Salary-by-State https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-IC...
benjohnson 6y ago
We able to get five days of use out of ours if we let them rest and decontaminate for five days between usage. Even after still pass the fit-test and work well - we just throw them away out of an abundance of caution. Even the ones we get from 3M South Korea at about $20 each winds up costing just pennies per hour. Re-use Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/d...
- SpelingBeeChamp 6y ago
  If you don't mind answering, what decontamination method are you using? That CDC link merely refers mask users to the mask manufacturers. How have you found reuse to effect fit and performance? From the CDC page you linked: "Decontamination of an N95 FFR inactivates viruses and bacteria on the device, but does not restore the N95 FFR to “new” performance. Decontamination studies have evaluated the effect of the decontamination process on the fit and filtration performance of N95 FFRs; however, these studies did not consider the likelihood that N95 FFRs worn by healthcare personnel are likely donned and doffed multiple times before undergoing decontamination. N95 FFR performance will decrease as the number of hours and number of donnings and doffings increase. Repeated decontamination and handling of FFRs can damage the fit and filtration performance of N95 FFRs. Fit performance during limited reuse, including decontaminated FFRs, should be monitored by the respiratory protection program manager or appropriate safety personnel. Information about how to assess N95 FFR fit during limited reuse can be found below...."
  - benjohnson 6y ago
    Sorry for the delay - we age and rotate resperators. The virus is presumed inactive after four days, so we have a weeks worth rotating at any one time. We store them in paper bags to let them dry out. Given we rarely actually have to go out of our home offices, it works well. 20 resperatore lasts about three months per person. If you need more - you can get 3M N95 from South Korea - about $200 for twenty.

Who pays for factories to purchase new equipment and hire more workers to produce more masks then? The companies selected by the government to do so have more or less flopped, as they had more political connections than skill in producing masks.

gizmo686 6y ago

How do you define outrageous? The shortage is because of how short they last (and the massive spike in demand). If that is the price it takes for supply to meet demand, I can see calling it unnaceptable, but I don't see how it is outrageous, unless you can point to some other decision that led to the cost being nessasary. In practice, I don't think $10/mast is unnaceptable. That is about 15 minutes worth of an ICU nurse's time[0]. In terms of costs that this pandemic is causing, even "expensive" masks are a cheep. [0] https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-ICU-Registered-Nurse-Salary-by-State https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-IC...

benjohnson 6y ago

We able to get five days of use out of ours if we let them rest and decontaminate for five days between usage. Even after still pass the fit-test and work well - we just throw them away out of an abundance of caution. Even the ones we get from 3M South Korea at about $20 each winds up costing just pennies per hour. Re-use Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/d...

SpelingBeeChamp 6y ago
If you don't mind answering, what decontamination method are you using? That CDC link merely refers mask users to the mask manufacturers. How have you found reuse to effect fit and performance? From the CDC page you linked: "Decontamination of an N95 FFR inactivates viruses and bacteria on the device, but does not restore the N95 FFR to “new” performance. Decontamination studies have evaluated the effect of the decontamination process on the fit and filtration performance of N95 FFRs; however, these studies did not consider the likelihood that N95 FFRs worn by healthcare personnel are likely donned and doffed multiple times before undergoing decontamination. N95 FFR performance will decrease as the number of hours and number of donnings and doffings increase. Repeated decontamination and handling of FFRs can damage the fit and filtration performance of N95 FFRs. Fit performance during limited reuse, including decontaminated FFRs, should be monitored by the respiratory protection program manager or appropriate safety personnel. Information about how to assess N95 FFR fit during limited reuse can be found below...."
- benjohnson 6y ago
  Sorry for the delay - we age and rotate resperators. The virus is presumed inactive after four days, so we have a weeks worth rotating at any one time. We store them in paper bags to let them dry out. Given we rarely actually have to go out of our home offices, it works well. 20 resperatore lasts about three months per person. If you need more - you can get 3M N95 from South Korea - about $200 for twenty.