In an effort to meet the demand for respiratory protection imposed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Moldex has ramped up its production of N95 respirator masks. The company has hired extra personnel, added more shifts, and is nearing maximum capacity.

The vast majority of Moldex N95 respirator masks have traditionally been produced for use in industrial settings such as construction, oil & gas, defense, and mining applications. Per the U.S. government’s Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19, industrial N95 respirators are now available for use in non-surgical healthcare settings.

“These FDA rules will allow for the first time, the available N95 supply to be prioritized for non-surgical healthcare use,” the company said. “It should be noted that the filtration efficiencies and general performance characteristics of N95s for healthcare and industrial uses are identical.”

Moldex first began ramping up production of N95 respirator masks in January 2020, when COVID-19 first surfaced and the demand for N95 respirator masks started to surge. “Historically, the healthcare market has favored the use of less costly surgical masks, but for protection against coronavirus COIVD-19, healthcare professionals require a higher level of protection provided by N95 respirator masks,” the company said.

You can learn more about the differences between surgical masks, N95 respirator masks and surgical N95 respirator masks on the FDA website.

In response to some concerns the public has expressed regarding N95 prices, Moldex has maintained its pricing pre-COVID-19. Moldex cannot control what retailers charge and condemns price gouging at any time. The company believes that the vast majority of distributors and resellers are managing this critical supply reasonably and ethically.

Moldex has donated thousands of respirators to local area hospitals and law enforcement. The company has also urged its distributors to prioritize the respiratory needs of healthcare, first responders, and critical infrastructure workers. The company hopes that moving forward, hospital stockpiles and healthcare professionals will increase their storage of surgical N95 respirator masks.

Moldex is working with officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on the guidance being issued for respirator use by healthcare workers.  

For more information on Moldex, respirator use, and COVID-19 information visit the Moldex website – www.moldex.com.