Face Masks Industry Responds to Crisis

The recent Coronavirus pandemic, along with other global concerns, have boosted demand for face masks significantly during the first three months of 2020. According to a study conducted by Future Market Insights, consumers are increasingly purchasing these materials to prevent against viruses and other diseases, which has led companies to significantly focus on increasing production capacity and expanding their product availability to minimize the risk of infection.

While many experts say there is no reason for healthy citizens to wear protective masks, many are. Healthcare professionals should be using a tightly-sealed respirator, like the N95 mask, with each patient. These masks are thicker than standard surgical masks and are designed to fit more tightly around the mouth and nose to block out much smaller particles. The Food and Drug Administration warns that neither surgical masks nor N95s should be shared or be reused.

To address supply shortages, many companies are increasing mask production or converting existing assets to make them. In March, medical supply le