Local manufacturer expects 'spillover effect' from Biden's pro-mask comments

President-elect Joe Biden’s Monday statement urging Americans to wear face coverings to slow the spread of coronavirus was cheered by Cape Girardeau’s Patriot Medical Devices — which began producing masks in earnest in late August.

“The bottom line is, I agree with Biden that you’re better off with a mask,” said Rick Needham, Patriot’s CEO, whose firm established a factory Aug. 26 in Cape Girardeau.

“Intuitively, I think we could expect a spillover effect (in sales) in a positive and sustained way (from Biden’s remarks),” he added.

Forceful comments

Biden, from his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, said in the wake of 10 million COVID infections to date and 237,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S., it is time to mask up.

“We could save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask for the next few months — not Democratic or Republican lives, American lives,” said Biden, who will turn 78 on Nov. 20, the oldest person ever elected president.

“Please, I implore you, wear a mask,” Biden said, following a meeting with his newly convened coronavirus advisory board.

Local response

Needham indicated Patriot is selling a box of 50 three-ply masks via its website, www.patriotmedicaldevices.com, for $29.99 and called online sales to date “steady.”

“Our (mask) production capacity is seven times larger today than when we started,” said Needham, who said Patriot remains in “hiring and training mode” as the nascent company continues to add new machinery at its facility at 1823 Rust Ave., and repeated an earlier promise veterans will have hiring preference.

Better-quality masks

Needham said Patriot is planning to begin production of N-95 masks at its Cape Girardeau plant by year-end or at the latest the first quarter of 2021, noting the N-95, which fits more snugly around the nose, has a “higher level of particulate filtration.”

Vaccine

Promising news of the development of a COVID-19 vaccine was met with optimism and caution by Biden, who noted in his remarks the pandemic is rapidly intensifying.

According to the Associated Press, the number of new confirmed COVID cases has risen by 65% in the last two weeks.

Pfizer announced what it called “strong” results from a vaccine trial and is “on track” to file an emergency-use application with federal regulators as early as late November.