Many Chinese-made KN95 masks are visible on the Canadian market, and most of these masks have been professionally tested and found to be out of specification, with some of them even filtering only about 20% of suspended particles, well below the 95% standard. Medical experts say this is a fraud that misleads consumers and is very dangerous.
The number of confirmed cases of the CCP virus in Canada has surpassed one million, causing people to be more stringent about hygiene and to seek better mask protection, but the number of counterfeit products and inferior masks is also on the rise. The Canadian National Broadcasting Company (CBC) randomly purchased 10 brands of Chinese KN95 masks from major retail stores and online shopping platforms such as Amazon, and commissioned the University of Toronto School of Public Health to conduct tests to check whether the products met their claims of filtration efficiency. Seal Goods” KN95 mask, can only filter about 20% of the suspended examples.
N95 masks are the specifications set by the United States, and products must be tested and certified by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). KN95 masks are the N95 mask specifications made in China, which are defined by the Chinese government with reference to the U.S. mask standards. KN95 is the Chinese standard for N95 masks, which is the Chinese government’s definition of a mask based on the U.S. standard, claiming a filtration efficiency of 95% or greater.
Many different brands of KN95 masks are available on Amazon Canada and other retail outlets. (Screenshot from Amazon.com)
Li Shilin, who runs a medical clinic in Canada, said he buys medical supplies with reputable suppliers to ensure quality, and was surprised that there are so many inferior Chinese products on the market, apparently the government’s efforts to check and seize them are too low. “You have only half of the protection, unlike vaccination which has 75% and 95% effectiveness. How to circulate in the market. The so-called KN95, which has no protection, actually passed the test and was shipped to Canada.”
Yukie Yamato, a professor at the University of British Columbia School of Dentistry in Canada, said the federal government ordered one million KN95 masks from China last April and later returned all of them, which has exposed the problem of poor quality of Chinese masks and suggested that if people want to buy medical masks, don’t buy them made in China. She said she knows friends from China will also avoid buying Chinese masks and will choose masks made in Taiwan or Japan. “When Canada bought masks with China, the results were bought only to find that they were completely substandard. It’s dangerous because it will make people who think I’m safe after wearing this, but it may not be safe. For health care workers and other high-risk people, they actually have to be very careful.”
Some of the Chinese-made mask boxes also have the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “FDA” printed on the outside of the box, but the FDA website states, “The FDA does not issue certificates of registration to medical device organizations and does not certify registered companies or listed products. ” “FDA trademarks may not be used on materials from private companies.” So Dr. Jay Park, who specializes in testing masks in San Diego, California, cautions consumers that if they see the FDA trademark on product packaging, it instead shows the possibility that the product is feared to be inferior or counterfeit.
Amazon Canada and Walmart have said they will remove products from their shelves if they are found to be substandard. Health Canada says it is “monitoring information on counterfeit, fraudulent and unauthorized personal protective equipment. Once violations are confirmed, they will not be allowed to be sold in Canada.”
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