NEWS RELEASE                                                                                     March 2020

Mask and Respirator Market - Short Term and Permanent Impact of Coronavirus

Sales and prices of masks and respirators have soared in the last two months. Suppliers need guidance as to when the sales will peak and what will be the permanent impact on the industry. This virus is communicated through the air for days by victims who are initially asymptomatic. Mortality rates are ten times higher than with the 2009-10 event. The combination is very potent.

The common wisdom that respirators will not be needed is now being challenged due to the high quantity of virus emitted by an asymptomatic victim and the ability of that virus to travel through the air and infect others.

The coronavirus is being compared to 9/11.  The reaction to this event which killed 3000 people was to spend trillions of dollars to make sure it will never happen again. A Bloomberg estimate on March 6 that this pandemic will cost the world economy $2.7 trillion needs to be revised based on the acceleration of economic impacts just in the last week.

The emotional impact is proving to be even greater than the economic. The cancellation of national sports events, schools, conferences and even travel between countries will have a lasting effect. 

The result is likely to be a heightened demand for personal protection products and willingness to pay the price. The daily use of masks now common in China and India is likely to be spread to other countries. Those elderly or otherwise vulnerable individuals may need to use respirators when in large groups. It could become common for anyone entering a room with people at risk to routinely don a respirator. 

The extremity of measures to be taken will depend on whether the world follows the Chinese example or the Italian example which already has  more than ten times the case rate per capita after a short period than China did over several months.

The McIlvaine Air Filtration and Purification report is providing continuing assessment of all the developments and revising market forecasts accordingly. There are Updates and client briefings Air Filtration Coronavirus Alert - March 12, 2020

Details on the report are found at

http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/air/n7f-masks-respirators-world-markets

Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at 847 226 2391 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.