Prestige Ameritech Stock Up on Swine Flu Mask Sales

Swine flu mask maker benefits from panic drive

During this swine flu outbreak, it’s very important to exercise common sense. That includes limiting your exposure to the sick, washing your hands and using a mask if you expect to be around the infected (or if you’re infected yourself). However, it’s important to use the mask correctly or the benefits will be almost nil.

You don’t want to be infected, do you? Well… DO YOU!? Then you’ll need no fax cash advance and online payday loans to pay for the extra ER visits. Who wants to have to do that, eh?

OK, let’s not panic.

JoNel Aleccia reports on MSNBC that companies like Prestige Ameritech are thriving, even though there are questions about whether face masks are effective in shielding from the illness. She states that protection is possible, but there are three key factors in determining how effective this protection can be:

1. What mask you choose,
2. What environment you’re in
3. Whether you use in consistently

“The CDC does not have a firm message on this,” said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Types of masks

There are two kinds of face masks: those made of soft, thin cloth that sell for pennies apiece, and form-fitting masks like the N-95 respirator, which is made of spun plastic fibers that filter out about 95 percent of small particles, including influenza viruses. They sell for a few dollars each.

But no mask is 100 percent effective in all situations. “You could get a false sense of security,” Schaffner said.

Yet studies have shown that the N-95 can be invaluable. The Lancet journal recently stated that use of the masks during the Hong Kong SARS outbreak gave hospital patients 13 times more protection than going without.

The level of protection a mask affords depends greatly upon whether they’re worn properly. Over mouth and nose is essential, and the masks must be worn consistently. But even though the N-95 masks filter microscopic particles, they also impede breathing. Thus, they are uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time, said Schaffner.

“Those of us who are a little claustrophobic don’t like to wear them for very long,” he said.

Stock up, the sky is falling!

People want masks during this swine flu outbreak, and companies like Prestige Ameritech are happy to provide. But the demand has created shortages. Aleccia reports that Valerie Paxton of AllegroMedical.com said the company sold more than 20,000 N-95 respirator masks in a single day recently. Mask manufacturers, including 3M, Prestige Ameritech and the Kimberly-Clark Corp. have said they are increasing production to keep up with demand.

Related Video: