(USNewsMag.com) – According to the CDC, the most effective face coverings are KN95 and N95 masks. It makes sense if universities require masks, they would distribute them to students; that’s what American University in Washington, DC did. But, a recent investigation by the school newspaper discovered a problem.
On February 4, The Eagle reported it found several inconsistencies between the KN95 masks being distributed on campus and the international standards for the face coverings. The university’s chief communications officer, Matthew Bennett, told the newspaper that although the school has a strict procurement process to secure real KN95 masks, somewhere in the process, a mistake was made because the batch that was distributed failed to meet specifications. The university took immediate corrective action when it became clear the masks didn’t meet the proper standards.
American University unknowingly distributed counterfeit KN95 masks to the student body during the first week of in-person classes, an Eagle investigation found. (1/6) https://t.co/JoQ21oCSFP
— The Eagle (@TheEagleOnline) February 4, 2022
A mask vendor, W.B. Mason Co., had been under fire recently for selling fake N95 masks disguised as real 3M products to the university. A Rhode Island-based company filed a class-action suit accusing the mask vendor of lying to its customers and selling the face coverings at inflated prices. The lawsuit states the company “exploited the current health emergency” and preyed on unsuspecting consumers. The suit is winding its way through the court system.
Although the university did the right thing by taking immediate corrective action, the fact remains the school put students in danger by not properly vetting the masks. It’s unclear how American University faculty plans to prevent it from happening again.
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