THE humble three-ply surgical mask has become the hottest commodity during the coronavirus outbreak, with many buying what they can get their hands on.

Five of six face masks fail absorbency test

THE humble three-ply surgical mask has become the hottest commodity during the coronavirus outbreak, with many buying what they can get their hands on.

But experts warn that while masks may look the same, the quality can vary wildly.

A recent test conducted by The Sunday Times showed that some are, in fact, made of poor quality materials and may just be giving users a false sense of security.

Winthrop Wong, director of Wellchem Pharmaceuticals, whose surgical masks are used by hospitals here, said that masks that go into Singapore’s national stockpile would need to meet American and/or European standards in terms of breathability, bacteria-filtration efficacy, water-resistance, absorbency and non-flammability.

2. Golden Gloves: A box of 50 was bought for S$9.90 (RM41) from ABC Bargain Centre at Bedok.

3. Sensi Mask: A box of 50 was bought for S$10 (RM42) from a street peddler in Jakarta, Indonesia.

4. No brand: A box of 50 mask was bought from a local medical supplier for S$20 (RM83).

5. No brand: A local taxi company distributed these blue masks to its drivers.

For a surgical mask to work, the outer-most layer should be water-resistant, and the middle layer, which is used to trap bacteria, should not be too porous.

An absorbency test found that five of the six masks could not absorb any moisture. That means if the user sneezes, the mask will not be able to contain the droplets, which will remain smeared on the wearer’s face. — The Straits Times/ANN