You might’ve seen this lady walking around Singapore wearing a stormtrooper-like mask or something out of a biohazard wasteland.
No, it’s not a stunt.
On Tuesday (25 May), local para-athlete Shariff Abdullah took a picture (and a selfie) of the said lady and posted it on Facebook, amused by her peculiar-looking mask (if you call it a mask).
Mr Shariff wrote, “First time I seen this… not sure where she bought it.”
Looking at the picture, the lady seems to be wearing some sort of protective gear, with a pump attached to a box secured at her waist.
The post has since garnered over 2,000 shares and 403 likes. The comments also ranged from confused netizens to those appreciating her sense of style.
Some also noted that she might be ill or immunocompromised, and therefore needed more protection from the virus.
A few commenters also seemed to recognise her. Apparently, the same woman was spotted at Nex shopping mall!
Of course, most of us were very curious about what she was wearing. Being kaypoh truly knows no bounds. Thankfully, netizens were quick to explain what the device was, even including links on where to get your hands on the latest fashion accessory.
What Is It?
Turns out, she was wearing a powered air-purifying respirator or PAPR for short.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the respirator is meant for use by frontline healthcare workers who are “responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures for preventing pathogen transmission in healthcare settings.”
How does it work?
The device uses a blower to force air through filter cartridges or canisters and into the breathing zone of the wearer, creating an airflow inside the “mask” hood. It protects users from inhaling virus aerosol as PAPRs reduce the aerosol concentration inhaled by the wearer to at least one-twenty fifth of that in the air.
It looks like 3M produces PAPRs, with various kits available on their website costing at least US$1,000 (SGD$1,324). Yikes.
But considering the situation, I’d rather have people make a fashion statement with their PAPRs than go around maskless.
And by the way, do you know that when a person wears a mask, it’s not to protect the wearer, but to protect people around him or her? But wearing this PAPR might be a tad different; watch this video to the end and you’d understand:
Featured Image: Facebook (MD Shariff Abdullah & Wei Ern)
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