Medical unions criticize mask plan as inadequate

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- The government plan to combat a flu pandemic aims to protect medical workers largely by having them use surgical masks that cost less than a quarter and lack federal approval as a shield against particles the size of viruses.
The decision, which officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say is only a first line of defense, is nonetheless drawing sharp criticism from labor unions and some public health experts.
Critics also question the CDC's recommendation that, when in close contact with flu victims, health care personnel wear disposable respirators -- the lowest-grade mask that the government certifies as able to filter out toxins and germs.
Hospitals and CDC officials say it's impractical to outfit doctors and nurses with more expensive and unwieldy respirators absent evidence that a virus will remain airborne and infectious for long periods.
Labor unions and some health experts say the risks of disease and of a panic among workers are too great to rely on inexpensive masks, especially given research suggesting virus particles can remain active in the air for hours and can penetrate disposable masks.