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COVID On Air #9: The Emperor Wears No Mask with Nicolas Smit

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Image above depicts a standing man wearing blue scrubs and an elastomeric respirator. Source:  https://www.medicaldesignandoutsourcing.com

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Summary:

In Covid on Air - Episode 9: The Emperor Wears No Mask, our podcast host, Josh Farden talks with Nicolas Smit, a Canadian engineer working to get elastomeric respirators to healthcare workers around the world. After misinformation spread early on in the pandemic, Smit began working with the Canadian government and news outlets to promote elastomeric respirators as N95 mask alternatives.

During the interview, Smit dives into issues presented with N95 masks. With PPE shortages, healthcare workers are forced to use disposable N95s for days or weeks at a time, increasing the risk of exposure to the virus. Smit suggests elastomeric respirators could be used as a safer and more sustainable alternative. Elastomeric respirators are common PPE used in the mining and construction industry. 

The public doubted the safety of elastomeric respirators early in the pandemic, despite their long-time use in the mining industry.

Smit’s goal is to bring awareness to these respirators and make them accessible for all. He notes that they have been used in other health-related crises in the healthcare industry. 

The Canadian government has started to embrace elastomeric respirators, but not without issues. There is a lack of communication, government barriers, and lack of public knowledge about these safe and well-established respirator alternatives. Smit’s mission is to bring as much awareness as possible to elastomeric respirators and encourage their widespread use.

Key Takeaways:

  • Elastomeric respirators are safer than N95 masks

  • They have been used in hospitals for SARS and H1N1

  • Unlike N95 and other disposable masks, elastomeric respirators are reusable, meaning they’re better for the environment

  • Elastomeric respirators use P100 filters - the highest NIOSH certification available - filtering a minimum of 99.97% of 0.3 um particles versus 95% for N95s.

  • Many dentists and firefighters use elastomeric respirators in the field

  • PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) is another great PPE, but is generally more challenging to manufacture economically in large volumes. Elastomeric respirators can be made at a lower cost to the same standards.

  • Given their reusability, elastomeric respirators are more cost-effective than disposable N95 and surgical masks over time

  • Elastomeric respirators will help with pandemics in the future and are a more environmentally-friendly method of protecting vulnerable populations. 

Ensuring safety from future respiratory pandemics, Nicolas has endorsed the PPEAct.org petition, arguing that access to high-efficiency masks (elastomeric respirators as the standard) should be a matter of human rights.

Politicians: Ask your government about the recommendations that came out a year ago.

The information is out there but it’s hard to find.

Resources:

Places to get elastomeric respirators: