140 Million Masks Must Be Destroyed
Published: Sunday, Jul 2nd 2023, 11:00
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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By 2023, around 140 million masks used to protect against the coronavirus will reach their expiration date. If no alternative use is found, the masks will be burned. This includes 6.7 million FFP2 masks and 133 million hygiene masks. During the pandemic, 178 million masks were purchased for a total of 130 million francs. Efforts are being made to find an alternative use for the masks, but it cannot be ruled out that they will be burned. The Armeeapotheke's sales platform Mercato for pandemic protection materials was closed on June 21st. The demand for pandemic protection materials has been saturated and customers are now returning to their regular suppliers. At the beginning of 2023, the Swiss government disposed of 2.2 million hygiene or FFP2 masks due to their expiration date, worth 1.13 million francs. In addition, the Armeeapotheke recalled and destroyed around nine million masks due to suspected mold contamination. These masks were purchased during the bird flu pandemic. Generally, masks have a shelf life of two to five years. Over time, the rubber bands can become brittle or the filter performance of masks with filters can be reduced.
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