“DM” and “Melitta Group” warn against masks made from vacuum cleaner bags!
After researchers recommended vacuum cleaner bags for making your own protective masks, there are now warnings about possible risks. On the one hand, “DM” and on the other hand the “Melitta Group” warn against using vacuum cleaner bags as mouth and nose protection.
Dangerous tips from the internet
dm drogerie markt calls on consumers not to follow the currently widespread tips on the Internet about making masks on their own from vacuum cleaner bags. These can contain substances that, if they reach the respiratory tract directly, have a harmful effect on health. In addition, there is no scientific evidence that particle-filtering protective masks that keep out Covid-19 viruses can be made from vacuum cleaner bags.
Tissues, fleece, coffee filters and now vacuum cleaner bags.
dm urgently warns its customers not to trust supposedly scientifically proven tips for making respiratory masks from the Internet. Contrary to the claim that vacuum cleaner bags with fine dust filters have very good filter properties, comparable to respiratory masks in the FFP 2 category, there is no scientific evidence for this. In fact, products developed exclusively for vacuum cleaners can be harmful to health. For hygiene reasons, many vacuum cleaner bags contain a fine antibacterial polymer powder that can be released by cutting open the bag. If this is then brought directly into the respiratory tract and inhaled, this is harmful to both the lungs and digestive organs.
We understand people's need and desire to help themselves in this unsettling situation in which protective masks are in short supply.At the same time, we also appeal to the population to only follow the tips on the government's official channels to contain the coronavirus and their scientific expertise, especially due to the seriousness of the situation," says Petra Gruber, Managing Director of Marketing and Purchasing.
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However, “DM” is not alone with this warning, as “SWIRL” also warned about it in March 2020!
Swirl® vacuum cleaner bags are no protection against COVID-19! Contrary to the increasing number of tips on the Internet, we as the Melitta Group cannot recommend using Swirl® vacuum cleaner bags for self-made protective masks.
Swirl® vacuum cleaner bags in MicroPor® PLUS quality have a fine dust filter that filters 99.9% of fine dust up to a fragmentation of up to 0.3µm. Coronaviruses are smaller with a size of 120-160 nm (this corresponds to 0.12 - 0.16 µm). The desired protection from a mask cannot be achieved.
We would also like to point out that the fit of homemade protective masks is not necessarily as ideal as purchased masks. And if the fit is poor, optimal protection of the mouth and nose is not guaranteed. The poorer fit could also be caused by the generally less elastic vacuum cleaner bags.
In addition, people with homemade masks may feel safer and be more careless with other important hygiene recommendations such as keeping their distance, washing hands, etc.
A poorly fitting mask could increase the risk of people touching their faces more often and becoming infected in this way.
If necessary, professional protective masks should be used. For this purpose, Wolf PVG, a subsidiary of the Melitta Group, is already producing nonwovens that are used as a raw material for the further production of protective masks.
The fleece is adapted to the requirements required for the use of a protective mask. In the next step, the material is professionally and efficiently processed into protective masks by specialized companies, which are then delivered to medical facilities such as hospitals, care facilities, etc.
Although we are aware of the delivery difficulties of protective masks and the associated emergency situations, we ask for your understanding that we cannot comply with private requests. Wolf PVG's production capacities as a supplier have been exhausted with existing orders.
We also refer to the information from the Robert Koch Institute on the subject of mouth and nose protection: https://www.rki.de/SharedDocs/FAQ/NCOV2019/FAQ_Liste.html
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Sources and references:
DM
Swirl
Robert Koch Institute
Article image: DM
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )