Genuine or Fake Mask? Difficult to Assess

KOMPAS/IRENE SARWINDANINGRUM

Dentist Linda at a private clinic in West Jakarta, Wednesday (10/3/2021), wore protective gear like an astronaut\'s helmet while preparing to serve patients.

Dentist Linda (27) had initially believed the KN95 respirator mask she wore was authentic until she found a notification that read “This product is a non-medical device” on its packaging box, printed in a small inscription between more readily distinctive “Protective Mask” and “KN95”.

Running a dental clinic in West Jakarta, she bought the masks from an online shop because she didn\'t have access to an official distributor.

Out of ignorance, she ordered KN95 masks, which turned out to be not the respirator KN95 of Chinese standard.

Also read: Dangerous, Fake Medical Masks Found in the Market

She will wear three masks, two surgical topped with an KN95 mask during work, while she also puts on a surgical wardrobe, boots and a head covering.

Many doctors still do not know the authenticity or quality of the medical masks they wear. They can only guess that the masks they are wearing may be fake or just a knockoff.

In Medan, North Sumatra, Suwarno Usman (67) said he would protect himself with a traditional medical mask and at times a N95 respirator mask while working.

However, he still got infected by Covid-19. So did his wife, children, maid and driver.

He voiced his concerns about the circulation of below-standard respirator masks that consequently threatened the safety of health workers.

"Many fakes are around now. In the past, we did get authentic N95. Wearing it, we could feel its authenticity. Now, a N95-labeled mask may be a knockoff,” he said.

Elisea Kimora, another dentist in Surabaya, East Java, testified to the rampant circulation of below-standard respirator masks.

It turned out that the mask was hollow and its loop fell off easily when used.

She once bought them through an online shop because her regular health shop ran out of stock. It turned out that the mask was hollow and its loop fell off easily when used.

"As doctors, we cannot assure ourselves whether the purchased masks are original or fake. Mask is not an electronic utility. We can\'t see it is original or fake. We are only aware about its quality when the loop breaks or fell off easily while working. It, for sure, cannot be used by medical personnel,” she said.

Not only doctors, other medical workers seem to be flirting with death when using personal protective equipment falling short of meeting the pandemic handling protocols.

KOMPAS/KORNELIS KEWA AMA

East Sumba health workers are tracking Covid-19 patients who have been in close contact with other people, Saturday (12/12/2020).

The concerned condition will be particularly more deplorable in the case of medical workers whose duties oblige them to interact directly with Covid-19 patients.

Face to Face

Among those at high risk are close-contact tracers. Day by day, they trace people who are suspected to have been in close contact with Covid-19 patients.

Such work has compelled them to be equipped with appropriate and safe protective equipment.

Wearing double masks, Anas, a nurse by profession assigned with close contact tracing, walked through a dwelling in Pademangan Timur Subdistrict, Pademangan District, North Jakarta, Thursday afternoon (18/3/2021).

Also read: Minimalist Mitigation on Medical Personnel

Together with three colleagues, he was looking for two Covid-19 suspects.

Not finding a clue in one location, the team shifted the search to RW 008 community unit of the sub-district.

The wanted person was found living in shop-house for confectionery business. Face to face, the man told his story.

Anas is getting used to direct interaction, with him having worked for the past four months with the target of finding 10 to 30 Covid-9 suspects a day.

During his work, the nursing academy graduate protects himself with double face shield with a KN95 respirator mask on the outer side.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), which has recruited Anas, provides him with a vest, ID card, hat, bag and several sheets of cloth masks.

"Because cloth masks are not up to standard, I have bought them (standard ones) myself," he said.

He bought KN95 mask for Rp 25,000 per box containing 10 pieces. The price is lower than the US standard respiratory masks (N95), which is Rp 20,000 a piece at the official distributor level.

Anas uses a KN95 mask only when tracking Covid-19 suspects and will replace it with a traditional medical mask while at the puskesmas (community health center).

Like most of medical workers, he is also ignorant about the mask issue, saying that his were bought by his wife, who is an assistant pharmacist at another puskesmas in Jakarta.

She usually buys respiratory masks at lower prices offered by someone.

Based on Kompas\' observation, respirator masks of unsubstantiated quality are circulating rampantly, with most of them having no distribution permits from the Health Ministry.

However, he also believes that potential transmission weighs heavily on the protocols on the ground.

Being a health worker directly interacting with Covid-19 patients, Anas is well aware of the risk of infection. However, he also believes that potential transmission weighs heavily on the protocols on the ground.

“Always try to stay safe by keeping a safe distance and wearing a mask. After that, we just surrender (to fate). Thank God I have not been infected,” he said.

Apart from his assuredness about protective equipment, several fellow workers of his were exposed to Covid-19, one being Ulul Elmah (22), a tracer from the Thousand Islands, Jakarta.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

The Gambir Community Health Center conducted a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test in the Duri Pulo area, Gambir, Central Jakarta, Monday (18/1/2021).

The unmarried midwife was exposed to Covid-19 on February 10. No one knew where she got infected, except that she had made regular visits to residents\' homes to monitor and meet face-to-face many of those having close contact with Covid-19 patients.

"There are a lot of OTG (people without symptoms) whom we also meet," Anas said. When taking to the field, Ulul would use a traditional not respirator medical mask.

Also read: Careful in Choosing Cloth Face Masks

Small clinics and independent health service providers having been monitored, some health workers apparently do not equip themselves with adequate protective equipment.

Unlike major hospitals, not only is their access to authorized mask distributors limited, but they do not have the facilities to test the quality of masks.

Therefore, many health workers resort to their own procurement.

(This article was translated by Musthofid)