Mask and Media Suppliers Need an Assured Third World Market

3M  Producing Six Million Masks per Day

Honeywell can Produce 2.7 Million N95 Masks per Day

Berry has Expanded Its Meltblown Production Around the World

Ahlstrom Supplies Media and Components For Masks

Medline Expanding Procedure Mask Production to 1 Million/Day

Lydall will have the Largest Meltblown Filtration Media Facility in the U.S.

Four Cases of  COVID in Oregon Involve People Who Received the Vaccine

Mask Interior Humidity can be Important but it is a Function of Fit

Immunity May Last Less Than a Year After Infection or Vaccination

Gerson Makes Meltblown Media for its Masks and Filters

Milken Mask is Reusable and Eliminates Mask Surface Transmission

ALG Health Opening a Second Mask Facility

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Mask and Media Suppliers Need an Assured Third World Market

Large increases in the U.S. production of tight fitting-efficient masks are needed. The problem for suppliers is an uncertain long term market. The Biden Administration can provide a solution  by funding exports to poor countries.

Over the next six months the wealthy countries need to supply citizens with three times as many tight fitting efficient face masks as they are presently using. Suppliers need to be convinced of a long term market to justify the needed investment.

If governments provide sufficient incentive, then the suppliers can quickly scale up to meet demands. The recent McIlvaine Alerts show how a combination of media and mask designs can be utilized.

If each wealthy country is considering  a unilateral program then the solution involves a relatively high cost per mask. There is an alternative which results in a low cost per mask and more importantly an improved world economy. That solution is supply of masks to poorer countries funded by the wealthy countries.

Why is it in the self-interest of wealthy countries to pay for masks in poor countries for the next 5 years?

1.      A long term market is created for the mask and media suppliers. They can switch from domestic sales to exports as the domestic market subsides.

2.      The supply  and purchase of goods by poorer countries will more than offset any  mask subsidies.

3.      New variants and even strains of the virus will be prevented from being transmitted from poor to wealthy countries.

4.      Wealthy countries need to be prepared for the next pandemic with sufficient supply capacity.

5.      Enhance U.S. image.

It now appears that herd immunity worldwide will not be achieved for seven years. Vaccination progress even with funding will be slow. Infrastructure for cold storage and vaccine injection is lacking.

In countries where the pandemic continues new variants will continue to develop. These variants will be transmitted back to countries which are protected only from previous forms. The greater the number of new variants the greater the likelihood of a new strain which is completely resistant to the existing vaccines.

Poorer countries are both suppliers and purchasers of more than one third of the world’s products and services. The pandemic has greatly reduced this contribution. Economists have provided more than ample evidence that the cost of masks for poorer countries will be more than offset by economic benefits to the world economy.

The Biden Administration is considering various funding alternatives to see that Americans wear tight fitting efficient  masks. One option McIlvaine has reported is for coupons which would allow lower income citizens to purchase masks. But no matter how attractive this makes the short term market it does not justify large investments.

The Biden Administration could implement a two stage plan.

·         Stage 1 would encourage the expansion of the domestic production to meet short term domestic needs with the promise of future support.

·         Stage 2 would be initiated after the U.S. market subsides and would  offer citizens of poorer countries coupons for mask purchase.

This offer would extend for several years. These coupons would be used to purchase masks exported from the U.S. or made by U.S. based manufacturers. U.S. suppliers would be guaranteed a long term market.

It would be preferable to create a coordinated effort through WHO. However, there is an urgent need now for the Biden Administration to act. So the initiative can be unilateral with the intent of coordinating with WHO in the future.

There is consternation about the vulnerability of the U.S. to future pandemics. At the onset of COVID-19  the U.S. was relying on China for its meltblown media and masks. One solution is to have excess capacity in reserve. Another is to impose disincentives such as tariffs to limit imports. The subsidizing of exports to poor countries is much better from an economic and humanitarian perspective.

Background information on this initiative is shown at http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/CATER/subscriber/default.htm

McIlvaine company also provides consulting and market research on this subject. More information can be supplied by Bob McIlvaine at 847 226 2391 or rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com

 

3M Producing Six Million Masks per Day

In January of last year, 3M ramped up production to full capacity at factories making N95 respirators in the U.S. and around the world – doubling production within two months. By the end of the year, 3M had manufactured 2 billion respirators globally – more than three times the amount produced in 2019.  

In the U.S. it is now manufacturing more than 95 million N95 respirators a month – up from 22 million a month in 2019.

At 3M’s Aberdeen, South Dakota, plant, a new 120,000-square-foot expansion to the 440,000-square-foot facility has added more manufacturing lines and automated equipment. The expansion added more than 100 jobs at Aberdeen’s 3M facility – that’s on top of the 200 jobs added at the plant since the beginning of the pandemic.

As a global company, 3M also manufactures respirators in Europe, Asia and Latin America, and its products are being similarly deployed to support the Covid-19 response in those respective regions.

McIlvaine is comparing 3M production to the total world and that of other manufacturers based on daily production. The McIlvaine estimate is that 3M is producing 3 million N95 masks per day in the U.S. and 6 million masks per day worldwide.

 

Honeywell can Produce 2.7 Million N95 Masks per Day

Honeywell first began ramping up its N95 mask production operation at multiple U.S. facilities in the U.S. The company was able to begin operations in just five weeks by accelerating a process that could normally take up to nine months. The operations were initially capable of producing 20 million masks per month, and Honeywell has steadily increased capacity throughout the year.

Praveen Reddy, president, Honeywell’s Personal Protective Equipment business stated . “Honeywell has made significant investments to expand our capacity to produce N95 masks and other respiratory products in the U.S. and globally.”

Honeywell produces a range of respiratory protection products for workers, including NIOSH-certified N95 masks, flat-fold single-use masks and elastomeric half-masks with replaceable cartridges.

“We have seen overall improvements in material availability since the pandemic started,” Reddy says. “Honeywell has expanded our production operations globally to help address the unprecedented demand, and we invested in automation in order to streamline operations and increase output. With these efforts, we have the capacity to be able to produce more than a billion N95 face masks per year.”

Looking ahead, Honeywell expects to see continued demand for respiratory protection for the near future as experts claim that face masks are one of the more effective methods at helping curb the spread of the virus. “Governments are issuing stronger mandates and guidelines for mask usage,” Reddy adds. “We are also seeing a greater push for high-quality masks, such as the N95 masks, to be made available to the general public.

 

Berry has Expanded Its Meltblown Production Around the World

Berry Global, the world’s largest nonwovens manufacturer, has significantly expanded its meltblown output around the world to meet demand for face masks, but this company has taken its efforts a step further by also forward integrating into face mask production with the installation of nine lines including one in China, one in Europe, five in the U.S. and two in the Latin America. These lines will ultimately be able to make more than 20 million masks per month.

Along with these investments, Berry has extended its Synergex range of products, developing Synergex ONE, new media design for face mask applications. Engineered to initially meet the new face mask categories for general population, the aim is to quickly bring the media up to EN 14683:2019 standards for surgical masks. The newly introduced Synergex ONE provides a multilayer nonwoven composite product in a single sheet, as an alternative to traditional face mask layer structures.

Berry’s face masks business will at least in some degree be served by its recently expanded meltblown production footprint, which spans North and South America, Europe and Asia, thanks to a string of recent investments, and brings the number of total meltblown lines operated by Berry, once these investments are complete, to nine and provides the company with the ability to supply locally in all four world regions.

 

Ahlstrom Supplies Media and Components For Masks

Last year Ahlstrom-Munksjö, launched its Extia Protect product range, specifically designed for face mask applications.

The Extia Protect portfolio consists of a full range of high-performance fiber-based solutions for face masks, including filtration layers, cover stocks, lace media and reinforcement layers. Each component of the range has been designed to meet specific requirements of the different type of masks, including respiratory masks, surgical masks, but also civil masks. The face mask offering is produced on an global industrial platform consisting of plants in Europe, North and South America and Asia, giving the company the required capacity to meet the regional demand.

“I am very proud of the work accomplished by our team. In only a few months, we have developed a full offering for face mask applications and are now in a position to serve the growing demand for face mask materials globally by utilizing the available capacity we have in industrial platforms across the globe,” says Daniele Borlatto, EVP Filtration and Performance Solutions.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has extensive and in-depth knowledge of fibers used in medical fabrics. For decades, the company’s Medical business has been making fabrics used to construct surgical gowns and drapes, pleated surgical face masks, protective apparel and sterile barrier systems. Launching the Extia Protect portfolio allows Ahlstrom-Munksjö to offer customers a full range of technologies and has the ability to produce all layers for civil-, surgical- and respiratory masks

 

Medline Expanding Procedure Mask Production to 1 Million/Day

In December Medline, began making level-1 ear loop procedure masks in January with a second production line expected to launch later in 2021. When the two lines are fully operational, Medline estimates it will be able produce 36 million face masks per month.

“Throughout the pandemic, Medline has been laser-focused on implementing new ideas to combat the national shortage of medical supplies. In particular, our customers have a critical need for readily available face masks. This is a significant capital investment in one of our largest manufacturing facilities that will increase the number of face masks Medline can offer to healthcare facilities and diversifies our PPE supply chain,” says CEO Charlie Mills.

More than 30 healthcare providers spanning hospital systems, skilled nursing facilities and homecare providers committed to purchasing the made-in-America face masks as part of Medline’s North American Manufacturing Expansion initiative, including Bon Secours Mercy Health, University of Washington Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Geisinger, Encompass Health, Wisconsin Illinois Senior Housing and CVS Pharmacy.

 

Lydall will have the Largest Meltblown Filtration Media Facility in the U.S.

With the installation of these two new production lines, Lydall’s New Hampshire facility will be the largest site for meltblown filtration media production in the U.S. To support the wider need for improved air quality beyond Covid-19, Lydall’s innovation team is focused on developing new carbon-based, high-efficiency media for MERV-, HEPA- and ULPA-grade filters for hospitals, airplanes, restaurants, office buildings and other public spaces, in addition to material for face masks.

Ashish Diwanji, president of Lydall Performance Materials, reports that the first new line in New Hampshire is up and running and supplying fine fiber meltblown materials for face masks and respirators. Lydall’s is completing its  second line in New Hampshire and a third new line in France.

“There is a still a long way to go to for the domestic supply chain to meet demand for face masks,” Diwanji  says. “We predict that demand will continue to increase during the pandemic surge period, which will last through the third quarter or 2021. Post-pandemic, mask usage will continue to be higher than it was pre-pandemic, and the U.S. government will require more than two billion face masks per year to rebuild its national PPE stockpile.”

Diwanji adds the decision to invest in fine fiber meltblown came after discussions with its key customers revealed serious shortages in supply both in the U.S. and Europe.

“We heard from customers and industrial associations that the N95 respirators used in hospitals were in short supply. China had stopped supply because Chinese companies had to prioritize the needs of their country,” Diwanji says. “This led to some companies—namely 3M, Honeywell and Owens & Minor—to very quickly ramp up production of their respirators, and they quickly recognized that there was a serious shortage of the critical middle layer.”

 

Four Cases of COVID in Oregon Involve People Who Received the Vaccine

Four people in Oregon have tested positive for the coronavirus after receiving both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, health officials said.

There are two cases each in Yamhill and Lane counties, the state's Health Authority said in a series of tweets on Friday. The cases are either mild or asymptomatic.

"We are working with our local and federal public health partners to investigate and determine case origin," the agency said. "Genome sequencing is underway, and we expect results next week."

The agency referred to the individuals who tested positive as "breakthrough cases," meaning that they got sick with the virus at least 14 days after receiving both doses.

The Health Authority said breakthrough cases are uncommon and there could be more that pop up.

"Clinical trials of both vaccines presently in use included breakthrough cases. In those cases, even though the participants got Covid, the vaccines reduced the severity of illness," the agency said in a tweet.

"Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a Covid-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get the virus. ... Getting as many Oregonians as possible vaccinated remains a critical objective to ending the pandemic."

The agency's announcement came the same day its health officer said there has been a decline of daily Covid-19 cases over the past several weeks. As of Friday, there were 149,576 cases in the state, according to the department's count.

Another breakthrough case was reported in North Carolina, according to NBC affiliate WCNC-TV in Charlotte. The state's Department of Health and Human Services told the outlet that the person had mild symptoms and did not need to be hospitalized.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that quarantining is not necessary for fully vaccinated people within three months of having received their last doses as long as they do not develop any symptoms.

They do, however, still need to practice certain safety measures such as wearing face masks, social distancing, and avoiding crowds or poorly ventilated spaces.

"Fully vaccinated" means at least two weeks have passed since a person has completed their vaccination series.

 

Mask Interior Humidity can be Important but it is a Function of Fit

Masks help protect the people wearing them from getting or spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but now researchers from the National Institutes of Health have added evidence for yet another potential benefit for wearers: The humidity created inside the mask may help combat respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.

The study, led by researchers in the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), found that face masks substantially increase the humidity in the air that the mask-wearer breathes in. This higher level of humidity in inhaled air, the researchers suggest, could help explain why wearing masks has been linked to lower disease severity in people infected with SARS-CoV-2, because hydration of the respiratory tract is known to benefit the immune system. The study published in the Biophysical Journal (link is external).

“We found that face masks strongly increase the humidity in inhaled air and propose that the resulting hydration of the respiratory tract could be responsible for the documented finding that links lower COVID-19 disease severity to wearing a mask,” said the study’s lead author, Adriaan Bax, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator. “High levels of humidity have been shown to mitigate severity of the flu, and it may be applicable to severity of COVID-19 through a similar mechanism.”

High levels of humidity can limit the spread of a virus to the lungs by promoting mucociliary clearance (MCC), a defense mechanism that removes mucus − and potentially harmful particles within the mucus − from the lungs. High levels of humidity can also bolster the immune system by producing special proteins, called interferons, that fight against viruses − a process known as the interferon response. Low levels of humidity have been shown to impair both MCC and the interferon response, which may be one reason why people are likelier to get respiratory infections in cold weather.

The study tested four common types of masks: an N95 mask, a three-ply disposable surgical mask, a two-ply cotton-polyester mask, and a heavy cotton mask. The researchers measured the level of humidity by having a volunteer breathe into a sealed steel box. When the person wore no mask, the water vapor of the exhaled breath filled the box, leading to a rapid increase in humidity inside the box.

When the person wore a mask, the buildup of humidity inside the box greatly decreased, due to most of the water vapor remaining in the mask, becoming condensed, and being re-inhaled. To ensure no leakage, the masks were tightly fitted against the volunteer’s face using high-density foam rubber. Measurements were taken at three different air temperatures, ranging from about 46 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit.

The results showed that all four masks increased the level of humidity of inhaled air, but to varying degrees. At lower temperatures, the humidifying effects of all masks greatly increased. At all temperatures, the thick cotton mask led to the most increased level of humidity.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/researchers-propose-humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19

 

Immunity May Last Less Than a Year After Infection or Vaccination

Kaiser Heath News  reports a number of reinfections. The specter of reinfections complicates one of the central questions of the COVID-19 threat: How long after natural infection or vaccination will people remain immune?

Early studies suggested immunity would be short-lived, only a few months, while more recent research finds that certain antibodies and memory cells may persist in Covid-infected patients longer than eight months. 

"We actually don't know" the marker that would signal immunity, said Dr. Jason Goldman, an infectious diseases expert at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. "We don't have the test you could perform to say yes or no, you could be infected." 

Goldman and colleagues confirmed a case of reinfection in a Seattle man last fall, and since then have identified six or seven probable cases. "This is a much more common scenario than is being recognized," he said.

The possibility of reinfection means that even patients who've had Covid need to remain vigilant about curbing re-exposure, said Dr. Edgar Sanchez, an infectious diseases physician at Orlando Health in Florida. 

"A lot of patients ask, 'How long do I have to worry about getting Covid again?' " he said. "I literally tell them this: 'You are probably safe for a few weeks, maybe even up to a couple of months, but beyond that, it's really unclear.' " 

The message is similar for the wider society, said Dr. Bill Messer, an expert in viral genetics at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, who has been pondering the cultural psychology of the Covid response. Evidence suggests there may not be a clear-cut return to normal.

"The idea that we will end this pandemic by beating this coronavirus, I don't think that's actually the way it's going to happen," he said. "I think that it's more likely that we're going to learn how to be comfortable living with this new virus circulating among us."

 

Gerson Makes Meltblown Media for its Masks and Filters

The Louis M. Gerson Co., Inc. has been in business since 1956. Family-owned and operated, Gerson is committed to producing  high quality products from air-purifying respirators to liquid filters for cleaning paints and solvents, to adhesively-treated cleaning or tack cloths for removal of surface particulates.

Gerson is a prime manufacturer of its principal products, assuring that each product is produced to the unique and exacting specifications. For example, melt-blown filter material for particulate filtration, manufactured in Middleboro, Massachusetts, provides outstanding filtration characteristics for filtering facepiece respirators and “prefilters” for chemical cartridges.

To assure the highest quality and purity of products as well as user value, all manufacturing in the USA facility is automated, utilizing proprietary equipment of their own design and manufacture.

Gerson  also utilizes overseas assembly operations, again using Gerson-owned and designed equipment, to remain globally competitive.

 

Milken Mask is Reusable and Eliminates Mask Surface Transmission

This reusable mask uses continuous surface treatment to insure that captured viruses are inactivated. Replaceable filter changes are recommended on a 90 day schedule.

The electroceutical surface technology, is a proprietary dot-matrix pattern of embedded microcell batteries that create an electric field and wirelessly generate a low level of electricity when moist.

 

The research on which the design is based found that “Coronavirus with intact infectivity attached to PPE surfaces pose significant threat to the 26 spread of COVID-19. We tested the hypothesis that an electroceutical fabric, generating weak 27 potential difference of 0.5V, disrupts the infectivity of coronavirus upon contact by destabilizing the electrokinetic properties of the virion. Respiratory coronavirus particles were placed in direct contact with the fabric for 1 or 5 minutes. Viral particles were recovered from the fabric.

Following one minute of contact, zeta potential of the coronavirus was significantly lowered indicating destabilization of its electrokinetic properties. Size-distribution plot showed appearance of aggregation of the virus. Testing of the cytopathic effects of the virus showed  eradication of infectivity as quantitatively assessed by PI-calcein and MTT cell viability tests. This work provides the rationale to consider the studied electroceutical fabric, or other materials with comparable property, as material of choice for the development of PPE in the fight against 36 COVID-19.”

https://mikenmask.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ms_Final.pdf

 

ALG Health Opening a Second Mask Facility

ALG Health is opening  a new manufacturing facility in Bryan, Ohio. The respirator mask making facility has 100,000 sq. ft of space. ALG Health, at its peak, is forecasted to bring nearly 400 jobs to the area.

ALG Health is currently manufacturing its medical-grade respirators and masks in Defiance, OH, but the significant increase in demand has required the company find a larger location. According to Owner and CEO Adam Harmon, “The response to our products has been overwhelming, and we needed to find a space that was as close to move-in ready as possible.” He continued to explain by stating, “It was crucial for us to keep the business in Northwest Ohio, and we were very fortunate to find a location in this area ready to go.”

ALG Health is a 2020 division of parent company, Axis LED Group, a manufacturer of commercial and governmental LED lighting. Using its manufacturing expertise, ALG Health produces personal protective equipment including disposable surgical masks and medical grade respirators. Currently, FDA approvals have been received and the company is awaiting the NIOSH certification to complete the requirements to become N95 certified.

Key features of the procedural mask are

• Protects patients and providers from exhaled micro particulates.
• Lightweight, easy to breathe through.
• Flat-fold for easy dispensing.
• Adjustable nose clip will help provide custom fit and secure seal.
• One size fits most.
• Latex free: Yes.
• Model: Procedure