With the Global Pandemic making face masks a regular feature of daily lives across the world, the amount of businesses now selling them has increased dramatically. From fashion brands to Etsy sellers, it seems that everybody has created a face mask for you to buy. But are they safe? Is your Face Mask anything more than the latest fashion accessory?
There is a danger at times of crisis that fear and a lack of information and understanding lead to a rise in people profiting unfairly. Intentionally or otherwise, people and businesses are quick to offer a solution to people’s issues, often without actually understanding or solving the problem. This is sadly the danger we face with face masks at the present moment in time.
Face Covering or Face Mask?
The official guidance in the UK is that ‘face coverings’ are mandatory in shops as well as a selection of other indoor spaces. Simply covering your face with a scarf would mean you were abiding by the rules. Air particles that carry viruses are far smaller than the holes in a typical piece of cloth and research by the University of Edinburgh has shown that in order to significantly prevent the distance particles travel and spread, multiple layers of fabric are needed, regardless of its composition.
When considering whether your face mask is safe, and if provides you with appropriate protection, there are some simple questions to answer:
- Does the mask have antiviral qualities which mean that they destroy viruses and bacteria?
- If it makes antiviral claims, have these been verified by a reputable testing facility?
- If the mask contains chemical or metallic elements, have these been tested and certified as safe to be putting on your face?
How does the OmniProtect face mask stand up against these questions?
We use Livinguard technology in our masks – an antiviral fabric treatment which creates positive charges on the surface of the fibres. These bind the virus microorganisms to the surface of the fabric, break down the cell integrity and ultimately destroy them. The technology has been proven to kill 99.9% of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 by the University of Berlin – one of the world’s leading centres of virology.
Our masks consist of 3 layers of fabric. An outer layer to prevent the inhalation of virus particles. An inner layer to prevent the spreading of viruses. And a middle layer which contains medical-grade filtration material.
Our masks have also passed extensive skin safety testing both in the USA and in Europe and are CE accredited as a Class I medical device.
In short, OmniProtect face masks are far more safe and effective than just any old “face covering”.