12/06/2021
Counterfeit masks are still sold everywhere, despite misleading claims.
A fake N-95 mask, left, and an original N-95 mask, right.
The mask, arguably the most essential and coveted piece of pandemic protective gear, is no longer a rare commodity, thanks to the return of imports and a resurgence in domestic production.
Consumers who try to purchase N95 masks, mainly on Amazon, are often led to vendors selling fake or poorly made KN95s, a Chinese-made mask that is often marketed as an N95 equivalent despite the lack of testing by US regulators to confirm virus-filtering claims.
In fact, masks offered on Amazon.com and through other retailers are being sold without authorization for use in health care settings from the Food and Drug Administration, which last July revoked its emergency use authorization for imported masks that lack approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a category that includes all KN95s from .
They include brands like Boncare, which is produced by a company that has repeatedly failed federal testing standards; Yotu, whose manufacturer has also failed European Union testing; and ChiSip, an Amazon top seller whose manufacturer, Chengde Technology, was cited by the CDC for falsely claiming approval by federal regulators.
