Masks are lifesaving public health tools — let's rate them accordingly

With the weather warming and vaccinations against COVID-19 clearly increasingly, many are Americans take off their masks how they venture out of their homes. Of the millions of people who go outside to enjoy summer activities, many will use sunscreens, a public health prevention tool to protect against skin cancer, the most common cancer in the US. and around the world. While Skin cancer poses a significant public health threat. Wearing sunscreen is a health behavior that can help protect consumers from sunburn and its harmful effects.

The The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates sunscreens to ensure they meet safety and effectiveness standards. The Agency Requires that manufacturers clearly indicate the level of protection of the sunscreen on product packaging through a universal standard called "SPF" which indicates the amount of ultraviolet radiation required to cause sunburn when the product is used. The FDA requires that the product's SPF rating be prominently displayed on the packaging - the higher the SPF, the better the protection - so that consumers can choose from among the hundreds of products available on the market, that best suits their needs.

We need such a federal labeling program to educate consumers about the effectiveness of the thousands of masks sold for COVID-19 prevention. Remember that more than 33 million people are infected with COVID-19 and 595,000 have died in the United States. Over the past year research has shown that masks are a very effective way of preventing the spread of viruses. But unlike when choosing a sunscreen based on its sun protection factor, consumers cannot tell whether the mask they are wearing protects 90 percent or 10 percent from virus particles. Create a mask rating System would allow people to select these life-saving products based on a scientific assessment of their performance, and make Americans more confident when returning to work, schools, and social gatherings that they will have an effective tool when needed.

Plus there is still Tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans, Children under 12 years are not yet suitable for COVID-19 vaccinations, masks are required in mass transport and on airplanes, for sure Companies need them and some individuals just might prefer more protection in certain settings. In addition, a mask identification program would allow people who are particularly susceptible to infection by the virus, such as immunocompromised individuals, to choose masks that offer them maximum protection.

The establishment of such a mask certification and labeling program is overdue. in the November 2020, we suggested that the federal government will develop a certification system and an easy-to-use rating system for the percentage of virus particles filtered through masks, with a packaging label that contains this information. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its guidelines Recently, in an effort to educate consumers about the benefits and best practices of wearing masks, the advocacy of layered masks and the emphasis on the need for a proper fit on the face endorses the wide variety of masks available on the market, many of which are made in other countries, more information on which ones work best.

In this next phase of the pandemic, we should use our country's technological know-how to provide consumers with information about the effectiveness of masks to guide public decision-making on which to wear in different risk situations while we are simultaneously prepare for the flu season and respond to other health concerns in the future.

While FDA regulated Cloth face masks, surgical masks and respirators for medical use National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH.)), a CDC agency, tests and certifies respiratory masks such as N-95 masks, and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) used in work environments. We recommend that the CDC develop and implement a parallel certification program for masks worn by the public. In coordination with its national network of accredited laboratories for personal protection technology, the CDC should develop a program to evaluate the filter capacity of masks and benchmark these consumer products.

The results of laboratory tests on a mask should be clearly labeled by manufacturers, as is the case with sunscreens. which reflect the level of filtration efficiency and other criteria that would be determined by the CDC. Instructions on how to wear the mask correctly, whether it is reusable and how to clean it should also be included Warnings about unregulated materials in a mask insert that can pose a respiratory hazard. Federal and state initiatives that distribute these products in locations such as community health centers should use masks certified under this program.

In the absence of the federal government Action on the matter when the pandemic emerged, ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials), an organization that develops voluntary standards for a wide variety of products, has developed mask standards for manufacturers who provide proof of concept for our proposed national mask certification program. In February 2021, ASTM has established minimum requirements for manufacturers in the private sector for the construction, filter efficiency and breathability of masks, as well as their size, fit, durability and cleaning requirements. ASTM's Mask Scoring System comprises two filter performance levels: greater than or equal to 20 percent and greater than or equal to 50 percent. For reference, N95 respirators filter 95 percent of the particles. This ASTM initiative provides a roadmap for how the federal government could develop a federal mask certification and labeling program for consumers.

Still with the coronavirus mutate quickly around the world and Millions unvaccinated People need the US to keep updating its national strategy to combat this disease, as well as preparing for future health challenges. Although the Biden government has made significant strides in drawing up, implementing and updating our country's plan of action, we still have a lot to do to combat the virus we face today and will emerge in the future.

Louis Pasteur once said, "Chance only favors the mind that is prepared." Establishing a federal certification and labeling program for masks will help prepare our nation in the 21st century to more effectively fight COVID-19 and other respiratory threats contain. By ensuring that masks, in combination with vaccinations and other non-pharmaceutical measures, are scientifically certified as public health tools, we can better protect our health now and for years to come from the microbes that have emerged throughout history killed more people than wars. Let's stay vigilant and better prepared against them.

Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal (retired), MD, MPA, Former Resident Physician in the United States, is Senior Medical Advisor at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, Director of the Health Innovations Lab in New America, and Visiting Professor at the MIT Media Lab.

Emily Stark is a health policy research fellow at New America.

https://dailytechnonewsllc.com/masks-are-lifesaving-public-health-tools-lets-rate-them-accordingly/