(Yicai Global) Feb. 24 -- Two Shanghai companies have begun mass producing a KN95-grade respirator mask made of a new nano-material as China continues to battle against the COVID-19 outbreak.

Shanghai Juchen Infant & Children Garment and Shanghai Hanpu New Material Technology developed the masks under the guidance of the Shanghai Economic and Information Technology Commission due to a shortage of disposable masks, People's Daily reported today.

The production line can make about 50,000 masks a day and should be able to produce 300,000 each day by Feb. 28, the report added, saying the masks will likely retail at between CNY15 (USD2.13) and CNY25. They are for civilian use and not intended for medical staff.

KN95 masks are those that can filter over 95 percent of fine particulate matter with a diameter of 75 nanometers or more. The pathogens for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 are about 100 nm in diameter.

The masks remain effective even after being sterilized 20 times with boiling water, alcohol and disinfectant liquid, according to tests by the companies, which recommended not using them more than 10 times each.

Editor: James Boynton