Swiss army circulated millions of substandard masks

Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

Some surplus masks sold cheap by the Swiss army pharmacy to homes, schools and cantons performed “significantly worse” in tests than a reference mask, according to a report in Swiss newspapers.

It is no secret that the Swiss army is sitting on mountains of masks that nobody wants. In order to avoid having to destroy them, almost a year ago the army started selling masks, for which it had paid millions of francs, to cantons, municipalities, homes and schools for the symbolic price of CHF0.01 ($0.01) each. Non-profit organisations even received the masks for free.

But now research by Tamedia newspapersExternal link published on Monday shows that the army pharmacy also circulated large quantities of hygiene masks of inferior quality. The masks come from a Chinese company called Sichuan Zhengning Medical Instrument Co. “WS Protection, Love is Power” is written on the packaging. The purchase price in April 2020 was CHF0.70 per mask.

The Spiez Laboratory, which focuses on the protection of the population against nuclear, biological and chemical threats, had tested the masks beforehand. In the most important property, the permeability of the non-woven fabric, the masks performed “significantly worse” than a proven standard reference mask, according to a report published in the Tages-Anzeiger newspaperExternal link.

In the test, about two to four times more particles penetrated the fabric of this mask than in the reference mask and the other tested masks. This is shown in the test report of June 11, 2020, which the army made available on request.

The Tages-Anzeiger said the army pharmacy’s stock showed that the army had circulated around 3.3 million of the “Love is Power” masks since February 2021. When asked by the newspaper, the army did not disclose who exactly had received the questionable hygiene masks. It is possible that some of the 3.3 million masks were also used by the army itself, the paper said.

‘Irresponsible and negligent’

“It is irresponsible and negligent to still be putting these masks into circulation in 2021,” said Margit Widmann, a specialist in the testing and regulation of medical devices and masks who analysed the measurement results of the Spiez laboratory for the Tages-Anzeiger. “These masks can give a false sense of security,” she concluded.

Widmann found the timing of the use of the inferior masks particularly incomprehensible. “In 2021 good-quality masks from reputable manufacturers would have been available for some time at reasonable prices.”

Army spokesman Stefan Hofer defended the course of events. “In the case of class I medical devices, which also include hygiene masks, the manufacturer took responsibility for declaring the conformity of their product.” The army pharmacy had “checked and approved” the declaration of conformity of the “Love is Power” masks, he said.

The test in the Spiez Laboratory was merely a “comparative test”, Hofer said. In this way, the army wanted to ensure “that medical products were being supplied of at least sufficient quality”.