Vietnam - Low-quality face masks present health dangers

“Selling gauze masks yields a profit four times the initial cost”, said T., a street vendor in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City. It costs consumers VND4,000-10,000 a piece but it costs vendors just VND1,200 at a whole sale price.

Junk becomes gauze masks

On December 17th, we visited a gauze mask manufacturing unit called HP to investigate the “technology” used to produce such cheap goods.

Dozens of bags containing colorful rags were thrown open on the floor. Some pieces had white mold, dust and dirt all over the surface.

The tailors did their cutting and sewing without the slightest concern for the dirty, moldy rags that were unwashed.

The owner explained, “The materials we bought were cheap rags. We can’t wash them when we make them into gauze masks because the sticky layer used to harden them would wear out”.

This “technology” is also applied at another establishment called Duc Hoang, in Go Vap District.

After taking a few bent pads, stinking of rubber, out of a box, Hoang – the owner – explained, “These pads are normally used in shoes. To make profits, we insert them in the gauze masks.

“It doesn’t matter where I get them, or if they are moldy or ugly, I make use of them all because once they are inserted inside as a lining layer, buyers will never know”.

Unbelievable active carbon gauze masks

Seizing on consumers’ wishes to protect their health during epidemics, some establishments have begun selling active carbon gauze masks at bargain prices.

They are made using the same “rag – junk pad” formula, but also include a thin white layer to hold the active carbon piece inside. The active carbon pieces are sold in meters in District 5 and originate from China.

The factory price of active carbon gauze masks is VND15,000/item. During the H1N1 epidemic a few years ago, it jumped up to VND30,000/item. The retail price of these gauze masks is VND45,000-50,000/item and VND100,000 during an epidemic.

An establishment in Tan Binh District marketed home-made active carbon gauze masks, which have been very popular.

The owner, K., explained, “Our gauze masks have three layers, made from high-class imported cloth. The first layer is nonwoven fabric to filter dust, the next is active carbon layer to filter polluted air, and the last is the contact layer.”

He said the establishment did not use the ready-made carbon layers on the market but produced them by themselves.

When K. introduced a customer to two gauze masks that had just been made, a burnt smell coming from the masks caused the guest to sneeze continuously.

K. explained in embarrassment, “That was the smell of the active carbon, which will wear off after a week and I guarantee that your health will not be affected!” He boasted that many companies have ordered active carbon gauze masks to distribute to workers.

But “these masks only work in an environment with low and medium level of pollution. They won’t work in highly polluted environments or when medical staff are in contact with patients during an epidemic”.

After receiving complaints about high prices from customers, K. decided to make active carbon gauze masks using rags and junk pads from shoemaking establishments and lowered the price to VND20,000 each item.

Most gauze masks do not prevent bacteria

Dr. Vu Van Tieu, former director of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, Southern branch, said most gauze masks sold on the market are not washed, sterilized or pasteurized during the manufacturing and packaging process.

Thus, if buyers do not wash them before they use them, they will be prone to skin and respiratory diseases.

Active carbon gauze masks that are advertised to be effective for a year are, in fact, useless after a few days.

The stinky ones smell like the glue used to hold the carbon pieces in place. It is this glue that cancels the effect of the active carbon.

Moreover, most gauze masks are not designed to hug the nose and mouth of users, which leaves space for bacteria to infiltrate. Thus, gauze masks are not adequate bacteria deterrents.

On the national highway 1A, there were over 200 selling points with prices ranging from VND4,000-10,000. Most buyers wore them right away, due to the immediate need to prevent dust.

A reader from District 12 said he had to discard dozens of gauze masks bought on the street because some made him cough, some were smelly and others looked dirty.

Yet the thought that “gauze masks are inherently clean” has fooled many.

Another reader from Go Vap District complained, “I was suffocated and nearly fainted a few times due to the malodorous odor of gauze masks bought on the street.

“But gauze masks sold at big shops on the market also feature the same problem. When I complained, the sellers admitted they had bought wholesale from establishments and were unaware of the issue”.

Dr. Nguyen Mong Hung, Chairman of the HCMC Consumer Protection Association, contended, “Even though they are worth just a few thousand dong, the authorities should not neglect the issue.

“The health sector should have stricter regulations regarding quality and brand towards gauze masks, since they are being sold and used so widely”.

TUOI TRE

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