I have been closely working the Travis County Medical Society as the PPE task force lead during the COVID crisis. At TCMS, we not only want to provide you with PPE, but with the assurance that it is quality PPE that will protect you. Unfortunately, there are many people utilizing the pandemic for profit and we are seeing many counterfeits. In an effort to combat this, TCMS has purchased a particle counter to assess the quality of the products we are dispersing. The data obtained by this testing will be made public and accessible on this page. Initial data has shown that there are KN95s testing at only 50% filtration at 0.3 microns. There are good KN95s out there, and many with good filtration. However, the vast majority of what is being imported is not medical grade and does not get a good seal on the face.
If you have a mask that you would like to have its filtration tested, we are now offering this service to you. You can drop off or mail your mask to TCMS at 4300 N Lamar, Austin, TX 78756. You must include one mask and the original outer packaging which includes the name, manufacturer, and model number. Please note that the mask will not be returned, but will be redistributed to providers if deemed legitimate.
UPDATED 6/14/20:
After testing 97 different masks here are the summaries:
44% of all the masks we have tested are below 95% filtration (43 of 97)
52% of masks not produced in the USA were below 95% filtration (40 of 77)
62% of masks with KN95 designation are below 95% filtration (32 of 52 masks)
63% of masks claiming European certification are below 95% filtration (17 of 27 masks)
30% of NIOSH N95 masks purchased internationally are below 95% filtration (3 of 10)
Measurements and findings made have correlated with CDC measurements within 1% of masks with good filtration. Variability is higher in counterfeit masks, which is likely due to more variability in the production quality.
Excel database updated September 23, 2020 is here: