Availability of FFP2 masks

Today, states are still desperately seeking FFP2 masks that seal the face and filter out infectious particles to protect frontline workers from inhaling the coronavirus. A nationwide shortage has led states to purchase these masks from uncertified foreign manufacturers or from manufacturers that sell certified products abroad. The lab does not certify respirators with its tests; only the U.S. NIOSH-certified lab can do that. However, testing will be performed as close as possible to NIOSH testing protocols and instrumentation. The goal of the tests is to help government agencies and health care providers evaluate the effectiveness of this personal protective equipment (PPE); test results are posted on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s PPE Guidelines website.

According to the NIOSH specification, N95 masks (and the KN95 masks certified in China) should filter out at least 95% of particles of a given size. However, the test equipment NIOSH uses to certify masks is “highly specialized and hard to come by,” says Shane Tysk, who has led filtration efficiency testing at the lab. Therefore, the lab had to build its own facility to achieve similar results. Reifenhäuser believes that melt-blow fabric production needs to be ramped up to meet growing demand, but adds that Germany currently lacks the industrial infrastructure to assemble the actual mask.

Measures in Germany

For years, German industry has concentrated on building very specialized and complicated machines. Now we have to take another step back,” he says, suggesting that Germany set up a “strategic production reserve” for such purposes.Under pressure to overcome Germany’s mask shortage, the government has promised government subsidies covering 30% of the investment costs of companies venturing into tissue production. Funding is capped at 10 million euros ($10.9 million), but includes a government purchase guarantee. However, industry associations such as the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) have warned against falling into a “protectionist trap” in the race to revive industry in the current health crisis. David Schmelzeisen of RWTH Aachen University echoes such views, arguing that Germany could be “flooded with masks” once the crisis is over.