Coronavirus: Hong Kong masks perform well against infections but many fail on hygiene and durability, Consumer Council study finds

In tests on 30 models of surgical masks for sale in the city, consumer watchdog finds all but one meets basic infection prevention standards

But 70 per cent fall short in other measures relating to bacteria levels, bodily fluid resistance and comfort

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The city’s consumer watchdog says masks selling in Hong Kong generally do well against contagion but several have other performance issues. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:04pm, 15 Dec 2020Updated: 9:53pm, 15 Dec 2020

The vast majority of surgical masks on sale in Hong Kong meet minimum standards for protecting against infections, but 70 per cent of models have flaws in other areas such as hygiene and durability, according to a Consumer Council study.

The watchdog’s findings, released on Tuesday as the city battled its fourth wave of Covid-19, revealed high levels of bacteria on some disposable masks, and one type did not reach basic requirements for resisting bodily fluids.

The Consumer Council oversaw tests on 30 different types of surgical, single-use masks. Photo: Handout

Pharmacy chain Watsons, owned by city tycoon Li Ka-shing, was the most vocal of those disputing the findings, insisting its masks attained the highest American standards of protection.

The firm said it used the same laboratory as the one commissioned by the council to perform the tests, but found discrepancies between both sets of results.

All but one of the 30 models of single-use masks that the council tested reached 95 per cent or above for average bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) and particle filtration efficiency (PFE).

By doing so they were judged satisfactory in terms of guarding against infection, reaching the basic level one requirement under the American ASTM F2100 standard.