Report: Tests Find Masks for MA First Responders to be Defective

Tens of thousands of masks distributed to Massachusetts firefighters, paramedics and other first responders in recent months as protection against COVID-19 have proven to be defective, according to an alert from the state. 

First responders were warned by the state not to use masks, such as KN95 masks, when performing some tasks involving patients infected with the deadly virus, WHDH-TV reports. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology had been commissioned to conduct tests on a variety of masks that had been distributed to fire and police departments, as well as hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities around the state.

“Just even having a basic encounter with anyone while wearing a KN95 mask that doesn’t meet the standard is that it increases the level of exposure to our firefighters, to our EMTs, to our paramedics,” Rich MacKinnon, president of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts organization told WHDH.

Some of the tested state masks filtered more than 90 percent of airborne particles, but none of them filtered at least 95 percent of airborne particles, the standard met by N95 masks, the Boston Globe reports. In some cases, tests revealed some state-distributed masks only filtered 28.1 percent of airborne particles.

To combat a nationwide shortage in masks, Massachusetts was among those states that had been collecting and distributing certain KN95 masks to first responders. Although these Chinese-made masks had received emergency approval by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, cases of counterfeit masks or masks not up to safety standards began popping up. 

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has been alerting fire and police departments around the state about the defective masks since late last month, according to the Globe. While the agency has been working with departments and facilities to find suitable replacements, officials haven't revealed how many defective masks had made it into the hands of first responders and to what parts of the state they were distributed.