Surgical Masks and KN95 Masks offerings by EM3ev

[Ravi Kempaiah]

As the COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc in the lives of millions of people, the demand for personal protection equipment (PPE) is soaring high and sometimes getting a good surgical-grade mask is very difficult.
Proper N95 masks with all certifications is difficult to source in the US and can cost 5x more than regular prices.
As the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is advising everyone to wear a mask for the next few weeks, a friend of mine who runs a company (EM3ev) in China is offering surgical-grade masks and KN95 masks at his cost.
Running a company in China, he has seen the COVID-19 insanity first hand and this is his way of helping out others.

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For those out there that have been unable to find face-masks locally, or for those that can only buy them at crazy prices, we are for a limited time offering face masks to our customers (and anyone else that wants them) at barely over the material cost price here in China. I thought long and hard about whether this was a good idea or not, but when we have them available at reasonable prices, when we have the means to get them to most countries within a few days and when it seems like nobody can source them in many countries around the World, then I frankly feel bad not doing something to try and help.

I really hope that this is not seen as profiteering during this crisis and that this doesn't backfire on us somehow (which is the reason we didn't offer them sooner..). I can assure everyone this is not about making money (which i hope is fairly obvious when you compare the price to what you might be charged locally), it is about getting masks into the hands of people that might need them, but simply can't get them. We will continue to give away many masks for free, as we have been doing for weeks, but unfortunately, we can't pay for everyone's mask, plus shipping. This crisis has hit us hard too!

Below is a listing for packs of 20 medical grade surgical masks we currently have available (max 10 packs per shipment). We will also be adding a listing for KN95 masks as soon as we have all the details. Please see the details in the product listing:

https://em3ev.com/product-category/coronavirus/

Keep safe and stay positive from Paul @ Team EM3ev, We'll get through this.

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[TomD]

Edit: apologies if my initial depiction was offensive or presumptive and do appreciate you posting this. If I was looking for KN95 masks from China I'd probably want someone like Paul offering his endorsement (I know he is well regarded in the battery space).

Also edited to clarify some KN95 were approved for medical used by the FDA on Friday (1 manufacturer had been approved). There were some concerns relating to authenticity and quality standards. This is a good summary:

FDA changes course and allows China's KN95 mask to be used in US | CNN Politics

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday changed its position on a sought-after type of respirator from China, the KN95, announcing that the agency will authorize the mask for use in healthcare settings if it meets certain criteria.

www.cnn.com

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Perhaps you could share what masks you are using right now and links to purchase them. If you are not using any, perhaps a reasoning as to why.

I had a call with Paul last week and he explained how difficult it was for him to source good quality ones. They are obviously sold in China and do not claim the NIOSH certification as NIOSH is a US-based organization.
He is selling what is considering as a good one there. This was included in the description and I don't think they are claiming NIOSH standard.

European Standard for these masks:

CE KN95 FFP2 mask

EN 149:2001+A1:2009 FFP2

Chinese Equivalent Standard:

GB 2626-2006 KN95

 

[JRA]

Paul has a better rep than to assume that the ones he is offering would be “fake”. I think it’s very humanitarian of him to put this together. Seems like compassion surrounding Covid is rare but this is the second time today I’ve seen incidence of it,

 

[TomD]

I'm sure Paul is a good guy and not discounting his intentions. Just pointing out these look just like those in the CDC link with ear loops. N95 and KN95 may function similarly but they are not the same thing. I would be leery of assuming they are or representing them as such.

N95 => United States NIOSH-42CFR84
KN95 => China GB2626-2006

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Just pointing out these look just like those in the CDC link with ear loops.

Tom,

If you have a link to the product you're using, please share it. I will be eager to use it.
For $2, products can't be made to look radically different.
It's not for masks, even within E-bikes, 100's of them look similar. I will give you an example.

This is an open mold frame available in China for $90-$100/piece. Same opening for cable routing... can you see?!!
Lots of bikes have similar front diamond triangle. Small difference in the top tube or rear triangle is what sets them apart but they are all $90 to $120 frames.

N95 => United States NIOSH-42CFR84
KN95 => China GB2626-2006

N95 or KN95 terminology is used for masks that can block 95 out of 100 particulates in the air. That is how that terminology comes about.
Not based on CDC or NIOSH endorsement.

Now, I am eager to see the masks you are using.

 

[Deleted member 4210]

It looks like kn95 or any surgical masks are fine, especially since many mainstream media outlets are promoting everything from bandanas and cutting up old cotton underwear as DIY options. (Of course they dont want you buying quality masks since those are all being sent to hospitals and other urgent care places - despite 3m saying they can make 35 million n95 masks here in the US in one month). How many weeks has it been of hearing WHO, CDC, and many other 'expert's' telling us all that we not only did not need masks but that they weren't effective??? Did they suddenly get smart ? None of it makes any sense, and the inconsistency is really tragic as these are supposedly world renown 'expert's' that the public I think was placing trust in.

 

[TomD]

Ravi, N95 by definition is NIOSH. The OP says N95. "We will also be adding a listing for N95 masks as soon as we have all the details ". At least once Paul got them in stock and put up his listing he accurately represented them as KN95 (not N95).

Me? I'm staying at home. When I go out I have some disposable surgical masks.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Ravi, N95 by definition is NIOSH. The OP says N95. "We will also be adding a listing for N95 masks as soon as we have all the details ". At least once Paul got them in stock and put up his listing he accurately represented them as KN95 (not N95).

Me? I'm staying at home. When I go out I have some disposable surgical masks.

I have added "K" to the N95 mention in the thread.

If people can find a quality product, that's all that matters whether it is N95 as certified by NIOSH or KN95 as used in other countries.

I hope everyone stays safe in these challenging times.

For those interested in knowing the nuances of certifications. Here is what 3M says.

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1791500O/comparison-ffp2-kn95-n95-filtering-facepiece-respirator-classes-tb.pdf

 

[tomjasz]

Me? I'm staying at home. When I go out I have some disposable surgical masks.

here as well!

 

[steve mercier]

Perhaps you could share what masks you are using right now and links to purchase them. If you are not using any, perhaps a reasoning as to why.

I had a call with Paul last week and he explained how difficult it was for him to source good quality ones. They are obviously sold in China and do not claim the NIOSH certification as NIOSH is a US-based organization.
He is selling what is considering as a good one there. This was included in the description and I don't think they are claiming NIOSH standard.

European Standard for these masks:

CE KN95 FFP2 mask

EN 149:2001+A1:2009 FFP2

Chinese Equivalent Standard:

GB 2626-2006 KN95

Ravi I happen to have this mask on hand...is it any better than the N95 s? (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Ravi I happen to have this mask on hand...is it any better than the N95 s? (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

That's even better, Steve!
It's rated at P100, meaning it blocks 99.97% of 0.3 micro particulates.

It looks a bit bulky and real heavy duty. Should work well. The advantage of regular N95 or KN95 is, it is disposable after one or two uses. It is possible to reuse with some treatment.

If you want to reuse that stuff after few days of usage, you could take a look at these...

It's Possible to Safely Reuse Masks During Coronavirus Outbreak, Research Finds

Safely reusing personal protection equipment like masks is becoming a greater possibility given the shortage of many medical supplies that essential workers need during the coronavirus outbreak. Last week, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst said they found that face masks...

www.nbcboston.com

 

[tomjasz]

Steam works well but contact with oven grates and cookie sheets will remove the electrostatically charge layer. We wear ours under a Buff, and wash the buff everyday.

 

[TomD]

You would probably want eyewear protection too. The more uncomfortable the better. Less incentive to spend time where you should not be.

 

[tomjasz]

"70 C / 158 F heating in a kitchen-type of oven for 30 min, or hot water vapor from boiling water for 10 min, are additional effective decontamination methods."

 

[indianajo]

Perhaps you could share what masks you are using right now and links to purchase them. If you are not using any, perhaps a reasoning as to why.

I bought my 3M 8214 From surplussales.com of Nebraska. In January. Listed as production aids. Used one for sawing up a fiberglass board, glass is hard on the lungs. Have my doubts about them stopping an airborne virus. Droplets yes, but those are the problem for Europeans with 2% Neanderthal immunity.(Watch PBS Nova). I caught swine flu from a European ethnic hospital nurse that wasn't sick. But she hugged me !@#$%$^I
I wear eyewear on the bike all the time anyway. Gravel trucks throw free samples. Lot of diesel pickup duallies out near my summer camp, too. Eyewear can go in the store.
Em3EV has a good reputation for batteries and motor kits.

 

[tomjasz]

From 3M.

 

[steve mercier]

As the COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc in the lives of millions of people, the demand for personal protection equipment (PPE) is soaring high and sometimes getting a good surgical-grade mask is very difficult.
Proper N95 masks with all certifications is difficult to source in the US and can cost 5x more than regular prices.
As the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is advising everyone to wear a mask for the next few weeks, a friend of mine who runs a company (EM3ev) in China is offering surgical-grade masks and KN95 masks at his cost.
Running a company in China, he has seen the COVID-19 insanity first hand and this is his way of helping out others.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those out there that have been unable to find face-masks locally, or for those that can only buy them at crazy prices, we are for a limited time offering face masks to our customers (and anyone else that wants them) at barely over the material cost price here in China. I thought long and hard about whether this was a good idea or not, but when we have them available at reasonable prices, when we have the means to get them to most countries within a few days and when it seems like nobody can source them in many countries around the World, then I frankly feel bad not doing something to try and help.

I really hope that this is not seen as profiteering during this crisis and that this doesn't backfire on us somehow (which is the reason we didn't offer them sooner..). I can assure everyone this is not about making money (which i hope is fairly obvious when you compare the price to what you might be charged locally), it is about getting masks into the hands of people that might need them, but simply can't get them. We will continue to give away many masks for free, as we have been doing for weeks, but unfortunately, we can't pay for everyone's mask, plus shipping. This crisis has hit us hard too!

Below is a listing for packs of 20 medical grade surgical masks we currently have available (max 10 packs per shipment). We will also be adding a listing for KN95 masks as soon as we have all the details. Please see the details in the product listing:

https://em3ev.com/product-category/coronavirus/

Keep safe and stay positive from Paul @ Team EM3ev, We'll get through this.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

View attachment 49053

I would guess that masks are likely not the only factor at play here . These countries on the right in the chart have learned by being hit by nasty bugs in the past and were more likely ahead of the curve on testing .

 

[FlatSix911]

Here is a Stanford University review of the effectiveness of home sterilization methods for mask reuse.

mask-ppe-EBM-v1.2-3-25-20.pdf | Powered by Box

stanfordmedicine.app.box.com

 

[indianajo]

I intend to use 72 hour rule for sterilization. Didn't use the mask since 3 weeks ago, it has been in the bag >72 hours, covid19 is dead. Wash my hands after I take it off & put it in the bag, with Palmolive anti-bacterial.