Thank you. This was the most comprehensive answer that I have received from a manufacturer. I will be happy to amend my article to reflect your points.
NIOSH counterfeits: The whole issue with Dasheng DTC3X NIOSH vs KN95 has made everything worse for the whole industry. I even had a call from a WSJ writer who is also trying to get a straight answer from Dasheng. The irony in all of this is that Dasheng DTC3x-1, DTC3X-2, and DTC3X-3 now are on the FDA authorized KN95 list. We have yet to hear from Dasheng if they were lazy and forgot to change the name on the box from NIOSH to KN95, or if these are indeed counterfeits.
KN95 ear loops: this has been a confusing issue as we have found KN95 with headbands. Please see photo:
KN95 counterfeits? This issue has been further complicated by KN95 distributors who have told me that their OFFICIAL factory products do NOT have FDA logos on the box or packaging and that other suppliers who sell them with FDA logos are potential counterfeits. I have attempted to reach out to the manufacturers directly without a reply.
Fit testing: This has been the most difficult part of the evaluation process as there are different standards between different hospitals about what passes the fit testing and not. We, as medical providers in the USA, are drilled to remember the SIZE of our respirator. So when KN95 comes into the US market with one size fits all, there is a bias that KN95 is lower quality.
I believe that the price to our end users will decrease if we are able to effectively reduce the number of suppliers in the middle of this marketplace. Please ask your representative to reach out to me directly on LinkedIn as we are launching an open marketplace website for reputable distributors. We would welcome a discussion and inclusion of your company in this direct to the end-user marketplace.
Thank you.
