Omicron Spread Boosts Korean Masks' 'Late Surge' in the US [Correspondent Diary]

NYT, CNN and Other Media Praise KF94
"CDC: Chinese KN95 Masks Effective but Many Are Fake"
California Recognizes and Recommends Excellence of KF94 Masks

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "Is this mask made in Korea? It must be good quality, but it's expensive."

The American media Slate.com introduced an article that highly praised the KF94 mask.

A, who works at a Korean pharmacy in Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA, has recently been receiving many such questions. This phenomenon arose as the Omicron variant spread rapidly, increasing the demand for masks with excellent blocking effects. KF94 masks cost $2 each but sell well.

As the perception that KF94 masks are more reliable and of better quality compared to Chinese-made masks spreads, many locals are buying KF94 masks at Korean markets and Korean pharmacies. KF94 masks are also easily found on online shopping malls like Amazon.

In Manhattan streets of New York City, large supermarkets, and schools, even non-Korean individuals are increasingly wearing KF94 masks. Users of Chinese-made KN95 masks, which previously dominated the market, have noticeably decreased.

There is always a reason behind change. A representative example is schools. Among American parents, many hesitate to vaccinate their young children who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. As a result, infections and hospitalizations among elementary school students have surged.

The New York Times also compared KF94 masks with N95 and KN95 masks.

Elementary school students also want high-performance masks to prevent infection, but there is a blind spot. High-performance masks that fit well on small faces of children are rare. KF94 and Chinese-made KN95 masks are the only options.

Most N95 masks approved in the U.S. are adult-sized 'cup-shaped' masks. It is almost impossible for ordinary people, not medical professionals, to use them in daily life. They are hard to carry in pockets, cannot be hung on ears, and must be tied with straps to secure. Although some used N95 masks at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, they have almost disappeared now. There are not even N95 masks made for children.

The well-known web magazine Slate.com introduced, "Many children attending in-person classes ask their parents to get KF94 masks." Slate.com described KF94 masks as "not looking like a duck" and fitting the face better compared to KN95 masks.

Other media outlets like The New York Times and CNN have also published articles comparing KF94, N95, and KN95 masks one after another. Reading these articles, a favorable view of KF94 is felt. Evaluations such as 'easy to use,' 'easy to breathe through,' and 'reliable Korean-made product' appear. The New York Times even rated KF94 as the mask for general public use in everyday life.

The opinion of the private organization Project N95, which provides information on N95-level masks, is similar. Representatives of Project N95 explained the convenience and excellent performance of KF94 masks in media interviews.

The trigger for this change was when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its mask usage recommendations. To respond to the spread of the Omicron variant, the CDC announced the preventive capabilities of masks by category. The CDC said N95 masks have the best performance but then evaluated KN95 masks as fitting the face well and having high preventive power.

However, there is a blind spot here. The CDC's revised mask guidelines emphasized that 65% of KN95 masks tested by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in 2020 and 2021 had performance below standards.

Media outlets also point out that many KN95 masks are counterfeit, have poor performance, and lack regulatory oversight. Doubts about Chinese-made masks underlie this. Because of this, KF94 masks have emerged as an alternative.

Reflecting this situation, the California state government recently officially mentioned KF94 masks, stating that N95 masks have the best preventive performance, followed by KF94 and KN95 masks as excellent.

Officials from the Korea Consumer Agency are explaining the results of safety, quality, hygiene, and size tests conducted on nine KF94 mask products sold on the market at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City on the morning of the 27th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

As U.S.-China tensions escalate and resentment against Chinese-made products spreads, along with survey results showing many KN95 masks do not perform adequately, this is clearly favorable for KF94 masks. Following Korean-made COVID-19 test kits, Korean-made masks are increasingly likely to play a significant role in preventing infections among Americans.

While the rise of KF94 masks is welcome, there are also regrets. Although explained as having N95-level performance, many want clarification on the performance difference between 95 and 94. If the same 95 standard had been used from the start, such inconvenience would not exist. The fact that Chinese-made KN95 includes both K and N95, which reminds people of Korea, is also disadvantageous to KF94.

Most KF94 masks bear the manufacturer's trademark. If KF94 masks had a KF94 label like N95 or KN95 masks, it might have had a great effect in terms of national brand management. Despite many negative views, American companies manufacture and sell U.S.-made masks certified as KN95 to capitalize on the recognition.