Are you still struggling to figure out whether an N95 mask is your best option right now? Well, in one of America's best hospitals, University Health System in San Antonio, Texas, the chief executive nurse has developed a face mask that has better filtration than N95 masks.?
According to a report by KSAT, Nurse Tommye Austin used AC filter material to create 600 masks as back up at a time when the hospital is gearing up to deal with a rise in the number of coronavirus cases, which is expected to happen in May.?
Austin said: ¡°In the event that we get a surge of COVID-19 patients in San Antonio, which is predicted to happen in May, we are making sure we have adequate and sufficient equipment for employees."
"Once we learned that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] had given us the ability to create masks, rather than using a bandanna or a handkerchief, we decided to look at creating our own N95,¡± she added.
She also pointed out that the masks look like N95 masks but with the help of adequate research and testing done by the Southwest Research Institute it was determined that the new mask had better filtration than the N95.
Austin further told KSAT, ¡°The mask has a filtration rate of 99.5 per cent with one material and has a 97.8 percent filtration efficiency with another material we are using. So if the N95 masks have a 95 per cent filtration efficiency, that means it can eliminate at least 95 per cent of the virus or bacteria trying to get through the mask.¡±
The executive nurse wants to stock up on 6,500 more masks so that each of them can be used at least twice given they are cleaned with proper sanitation equipment and the same protocol used to clean N95 masks.?
She said, ¡°We have been working with the Southwest Research Institute in making sure that we just not develop something we think is a good product but something that we know is a good product by using science. It doesn¡¯t have what we call carbon dioxide buildup, which could make you dizzy or (give you) a headache. It is comfortable and you can wear it for long periods of time.¡±
The hospital is also sharing the design with other facilities in the region so that the word can spread and healthcare workers don't have to struggle anymore to protect themselves from the virus.?
Austin said, ¡°Hearing the stories from the nurses in New York and other hot spots, it was just heartbreaking. As a nurse, we are to be advocates for people, so my primary goal was not to make money off this mask or anything. The main purpose of this mask was to keep people safe.¡±
You can watch Austin's video of explaining the mask design here.