Honesty Medical Equipment Co. Ltd. has launched locally-made reusable facemasks that can still kill bacteria even after 50 washes, the company’s general manager Chao Weng Sam has told The Macau Post Daily.

The antibacterial facemasks are 100 percent locally made, Chao said, adding that the company has wanted to produce facemasks since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. “We have been using the antibacterial technology for a while but it was used for other products. When the pandemic hit, [my team and I] decided to produce antibacterial facemasks for the general public. The product was launched in May and the feedback was better than expected,” Chao said in an interview at her office in the city centre last week.

When asked what the difference between an antibacterial mask and a normal non-surgical facemask was, Chao said her company’s technology is able to keep the mask odour-free. “The government advises the general public to use one’s facemask for no more than four hours because it becomes less bacteria resistant. Yet, this facemask does not have this problem because it can be washed up to 50 times,” Chao pointed out.

According to Chao, the facemasks can kill bacteria because the company uses a Silver Micron Particle (SMP) technology when producing them. SMP is a patented technology using a dry-heated process that forms particles containing silver, she said. The University Hospital at the University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Taipa also used the SMP technology to make their nurse station and reception counter bacteria free, she noted.

“Raymond QianYuanqing, an Australian Chinese scientist is the inventor of SMP technology. All bacterial cell walls and cell membranes carry a negative charge, and SMP carries a positive charge, Hence, through SMP, it creates an ionic binding effect. SMP can eliminate up to 650 types of bacteria within a short period of time. It also promotes wound healing and removes odour. The most unique characteristic of SMP is that even if it is covered by other materials, antibacterial capability still remains.” Chao said.

Chao recommends that users wash the facemasks with laundry detergent since soap may damage the outer layer of the facemask. She also said that placing a filter in the facemasks is advised when visiting high-infection areas.

Chao also told The Macau Post Daily that she came up with the idea to call the facemasks “MO-19”, the abbreviation for “Macau overcomes COVID-19”. Chao also said that the reusable masks come in six different colours and different sizes, and each mask costs 128 patacas. The product will be sold at Sands’ Shopping Carnival this weekend. 

Honesty Medical Equipment CO., Ltd. General Manager Chao Weng Sam poses for a photo after speaking with The Macau Post Daily in an interview at her office last week. Photo: Monica Leong

This undated handout photo provided by Honesty Medical Equipment CO., Ltd. shows a girl wearing a MO-19 facemask.

This photo taken at Chao’s office last week shows MO-19 reusable facemasks that are available in different colours and sizes. Photo: Monica Leong