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The Health Ministry has told district health boards across the country to stop wearing a particular type of mask after independent tests found that it did not meet specifications.
A quality control check of the Duckbill N95 / P2 particulate respirator masks, conducted by safety products company QSi in 2018 and 2019, showed that they protected the user, but did not meet the standard to protect others from the person wearing the mask.
The Ministry’s Deputy Executive Director for Covid-19 Health System Response Sue Gordon said they want all the masks removed and has suspended future orders.
But an initial shipment of roughly four weeks’ supply has already been sent to the district health boards (DHBs).
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“The tests confirmed that the masks protect the user by preventing the inhalation of small droplets, which is key for use in the healthcare sector.
“In most cases, health professionals use masks to prevent their sick patients from infecting them.”
Gordon said the tests also showed that the masks provide some protection to prevent exhaled drops from passing through the mask, but not to the required standard.
The ministry will collect supplies of the affected masks in the New Year, and has also suspended the same QSi masks produced in 2016, 2017 and this year until they can also be tested.
Visuals
The Ministry of Health says that there are many other varieties of masks available. (File photo)
QSi is a New Zealand-based company sourcing raw material supplies for PPE from abroad, and Gordon said it has been critical to provide masks to New Zealand when there were difficulties in accessing masks offshore in the early stages of the pandemic. .
“QSi is also conducting its own research and has implemented its internal quality assurance processes. We work together in good faith to resolve this matter as soon as possible. “
She said the risk of Covid-19 being transmitted by healthcare workers wearing the affected masks is low to zero.
“We have no community transmission in New Zealand, and our healthcare workers take other important steps to protect themselves and those around them.”
RYAN ANDERSON / Stuff
The risk that healthcare workers wearing the affected masks have transmitted Covid-19 is considered low or zero.
“The ministry will continue to strengthen our quality assurance processes to ensure that New Zealand healthcare workers have access to the highest level of PPE.”
Putting stocks on hold is not expected to have any impact on the national supply of face masks.
Testing, Immunization and Supplies Group Manager Kelvin Watson said there are up to 600,000 N95 / P2 masks available in the healthcare sector, many of which are kept in stock.
The total use of N95 face masks from the national stock is usually around 6000 masks per week.
“Overall, the current national reserves of the N95 / P2 masks mean that we have the equivalent of a 40-week supply when we are at a medium alert level, as we were in August.”
