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Prognosis: Misconception

How to Spot a Fake Mask

Prognosis: Misconception

Bloomberg

Health & Fitness, Science

4.1838 Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2020

⏱️ 16 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If there’s one simple technology that has come to the forefront during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s the face mask. Special masks called respirators are designed to prevent doctors and nurses from catching the virus when they treat infected people. But not all respirators do what they’re labelled to. Fakes and shoddy products abound. And you can’t always tell how many particles a mask can filter just by looking at it. Naomi Kresge reported on how you catch a fake mask – and the lengths one German company is going to, to fight the problem.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Are you looking for a new podcast about stuff related to money?

0:05.3

Well, today's your lucky day.

0:07.1

I'm Matt Levine.

0:08.2

And I'm Katie Greifeld.

0:09.5

And we are the hosts of Money Stuff, The Podcast.

0:13.0

Every Friday, we dive into the top stories about Wall Street, finance, and other stuff.

0:17.9

We have fun. We get weird, and we want you to join us. You can listen to

0:22.0

Many Stuff the Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

0:26.4

Welcome to Prognosis. I'm Francesca Levy. Laura Carlson is out. It's day 100 since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Our main story? Masks and other personal protective equipment are the only thing standing between frontline health care workers and infection.

0:56.1

But fake or badly made masks are circulating through the market, and they can be very hard to spot.

1:03.6

But first, here's what happened in virus news today.

1:20.3

Prefurt. President Donald Trump will hold a massive indoor campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma tomorrow.

1:24.3

Cases in Oklahoma have skyrocketed since the beginning of June.

1:28.4

The White House has dismissed suggestions that the rally will lead to a dangerous rise in infections. But epidemiologists and other experts agree, the rally is likely

1:35.7

to cause a so-called super spreader event. The BOK Center, where the rally will take place,

1:42.4

seats 19,000 people, and President Trump intends to

1:46.0

pack it. Attendees will need to sign waivers absolving the Trump campaign of liability,

1:51.5

and temperature checks will be done at the door. Masks will be provided, but not required.

1:58.6

Experts say these measures can ensure no infected people will get into the venue,

2:03.2

and that temperature checks are virtually meaningless. The differences between the Trump rally

2:08.3

and the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests from a public health perspective is the entirely

2:13.6

enclosed nature of the arena, and the likelihood that an older, more vulnerable group

...

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