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Firms inventing high-quality masks to battle virus

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I can't even buy a mask at any drugstore I go to so...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

There are small holes near the nose and mouth to take in air, unlike the usual masks made of non-woven materials where air can enter anywhere. 

How big are the holes? A virus is teeny weeny.

I ordered masks from China. Quality good. Got them under a week. Arrived yesterday but was told by an Amazon message the 19th. ¥41 each. Got fifty. Passing them out to people I see walking without one.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Whats the point of masks when the virus gets in your eyes and ears just as easy as your mouth and nose? Also when you breath the mask stays wet so any virus will live longer on the outside of your mask making it easier to get on your hands.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Lovely words but jam tomorrow and pie in the sky.

Still waiting here for Abe's relief army to arrive, the full two masks.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I concern whether those masks would be exportable to the US and EU market. As you see, CE standard and FDA have very strict certification of such. At the moment, Vietnam is actively profiting from the China's faulty fallout. Many of their products are approved by the FDA. I see Japan has no capacity to compete against either Vietnam or China in this regard. Those masks can be considered "high quality" as the article suggests when they are approved by either FDA or CE.

 fiber materials from washi, or traditional Japanese paper

An information that I see no scientific relevance. I don't see why Japan necessarily shoves every Nihonjiron piece at everything.

Abenomask

Now, I don't have any hope.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

For those that actually believe that masks NOW coming out of China that bear the CE or FDA approval logos are actually legitimate, think again. These companies just bought a temporary license from the CCP to make masks and have NEVER made them before. They have no 'clean room standards' in place and no idea how to really make the masks. I would avoid any masks coming from China even if they claim to be major brands as they are being made by smaller feeder companies with those temporary licences.

Here's a video from within China showing the quality of the masks being made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-fVOMlPQYI

3 ( +3 / -0 )

N-95 mask no reason to reinvent the wheel. The mask production promised by the Abe administration has stalled and not reaching areas outside Tokyo. I have friends in Aomori Prefecture who are in high allergy season and been out of mask since January and that was before the panic buying. So where are the promised mask made in Japan? Surely not production is the problem or personnel? So what is the real excuse. Hmmm. could it be that our supply was sent to China with nothing in return again? Could it be that 80% of the products are all in 1 basket "made in China" by deals signed by previous administrations. In reality all we read about is empty promises like the ones in the article but nothing to show for it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They should be free to the public and sponsored by the ‘kechi’ (stingy) Japanese government.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In a time of crisis we don't need to waste time inventing new things when we already have things that work. The N-95 mask works. So mass produce that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

When are the Sharp produced mask hitting the japanese market. Isn't it more than two months since that article appeared here on JT.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Where are the Abe masks?

They were needed yesterday!

Like Tom, I also have given out masks-hundreds of them.

Abe’s LDP is absolutely inept....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

kurisupisu-san,

You never said a truer word:

Abe’s LDP is absolutely inept....

(Invalid CSRF)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

alongfortheride: "Whats the point of masks when the virus gets in your eyes and ears just as easy as your mouth and nose? Also when you breath the mask stays wet so any virus will live longer on the outside of your mask making it easier to get on your hands."

BINGO! And that's not even taking into account so many people wear them on their chins, or at least only covering their mouths, not nose, and pinch and pull them up or down from where the moist part over the mouth and nose are before putting hands back on train railings or straps. Saw one guy pull his mask down this way to sneeze all over the train platform this afternoon before wiping his mouth after with the back of his hand and put the mask back on... but hey, as long as he feels secure.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

And nothing quite like profiteering.

"Mitsufuji Corp. from Seika in Kyoto Prefecture has invented masks using its unique silver-metalized materials, which has deodorizing and antibacterial effects."

I don't think a single person from Kyoto can use a sentence describing the prefecture and/or its products without using the word "unique". It's like its in their blood, which is of course, unique.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

For those that actually believe that masks NOW coming out of China that bear the CE or FDA approval logos are actually legitimate, think again. These companies just bought a temporary license from the CCP to make masks and have NEVER made them before. They have no 'clean room standards' in place and no idea how to really make the masks. I would avoid any masks coming from China even if they claim to be major brands as they are being made by smaller feeder companies with those temporary licences.

One more reason not to trust China.

Masayoshi Son lost all his goodwill credibility for purchasing his medical goods from China.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

where are all the anti -mask idiots in the comment section today?

probably wondering around Japan to get their own masks

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Using washi paper between two layers of cotton actually seems a very sensible and economical mask design. The washi insert can be replaced daily or more frequently as needed. And the reusable cotton pouches washed daily,

Last month on the US West Coast, a garment manufacturer tested various materials and mask designs for the public to wear that would actually be effective in allowing unhampered breathing, while also protecting against the spread of viral particles by sneeze or cough.

Cotton-layered masks by themselves were graded wholly ineffective, but placing a folded blue paper “shop towel” between cotton layers (the type of dense, disposable paper towels used by many auto repair venues) were found to be the most useful of readily available inserts tried. It’s breathable but protects against viral entry similar to most hospital face masks (not N-95).

One can assume the thickness found in quality washi paper is similar to those shop towel inserts now being used in more face masks here in California.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Someone here has mentioned the ears as a possible way for a virus to enter the human body and cause infection? Not unless you poked an infected finger in an ear! Which is secondary to unwashed or unsanitized hands.

Many people who are constantly in public situations such as grocery store employees are starting to wear eye protection in the US. But unless you are directly confronted by someone sneezing or coughing, the nose and mouth are still the most likely venues for Coronavirus to enter, along with contaminated hands.

Proper use of a face mask while moving around in Covid-19 hotspots in my county has saved this 64-year-old so far! I’ll follow the advice of infectious disease experts any day, before I listen to shade tree “experts” contradict their effectiveness.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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