Just over two years ago, David Robb, founder of Respiratory Protective Masks (RPMasks NZ), was boarding a flight from Hong Kong to New Zealand. It was set to be a quick trip, to visit loved ones.
In the week leading up to his departure, he’d noticed with every outing he was in a sea of mask wearers. Mask use wasn’t yet officially required in Hong Kong for the emerging mystery virus, yet everyone was wearing them.
Shortly after David’s arrival, New Zealand entered the first lockdown. Masks became a requirement here, yet there was a serious lack of safe options available! David observed that despite the plethora of early studies that clearly stated cloth masks weren’t useful against Covid-19, there was a lot of confusion in the general public. Plenty of official voices, outside the field of medical science, were putting their influence behind the fabric mask to their large audiences. As if MacGyver-like hair tie and bandana combinations could have been used by surgeons this whole time.
The majority of fabric masks have a 20-30% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) protection when new. The BFE test is used to evaluate a respirator’s resistance to virus penetration. The higher the percentage, the safer the product against filtering out Covid. With every wash, the BFE drops further as the fabric wears down. Official advice currently states that we should be wearing highly protective single-use masks, with a BFE greater than 95%, to protect against Omicron. Currently, no re-usable or cloth masks have received a BFE rating near the minimum 95% required for proper protection. Essentially, any washed or re-usable mask is a redundant mask.
After extensive research and testing, RPMasks aligned with Masklab to become their official supplier for their KF99 masks in New Zealand. The masks have some seriously impressive specs.
The adult range has an BFE rating of 99.9%, and their junior and children’s range is upwards of 99.9%, the highest possible rating on the market. The masks contour to your face, providing a superior level of comfort, yet are structured in a way where you can breathe without feeling it collapse in on itself. A customer recently shared that they had left work, drove home through heavy traffic, and walked through their front door without even noticing they still had their mask on!
RPMasks have the widest range of designs in NZ, with something to suit every style. According to countless rave reviews, the straps aren’t awkward and the fabric has the highest breathability. They’re also strong enough to have custom printing placed for companies in need of a cool and safe way to protect staff and clients.
Towards the end of our chat, I asked David if there are any particular areas he’s noticed that are in need of development to help protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our fellow Kiwis.
“I think a big area, is normalising safer masks, especially in large work environments like companies, or in fields with high interaction with the public, like hospitality and retail,” he says. “Especially as restrictions are lifting. The virus is still very much present and is notorious for rapidly spreading through densely packed areas. We still see fabric and blue masks everywhere, which isn’t as safe an option.
“Blue masks often have gaps at the edges and the nose bridge can mean we constantly adjust them without following recommended mask hygiene tips. As people are socialising more often and returning to work or venues, it’s more important than before that we provide the highest level of protection for loved ones, ourselves, and our staff to protect them from Omicron transmission, which is still active in the community.
“When staff retention is particularly tough, and many feel anxious about the safety level at work, wouldn’t you want the best layer of protection to be available? A 0.1 % chance of an asymptomatic person spreading the virus amongst their peers or customers when wearing our masks, versus the toll of having many staff absent for the seven-day isolation period due to inadequate protection, can’t be overlooked at this point.”
David’s intention with the company has always been to provide Kiwis with clear and helpful material as well as providing the best protection against Omicron transmission: the safest and most comfortable single-use masks, tailored for all ages and style preferences.
Visit the RPMasks website for more information, tips, or to explore their substantial range of stunning designs; perfect for keeping the whole whanau safe.
