Nurses alert about new mouthguards: "I refuse to use them"

"It is pathetic that we should go around with this," says nurse Frida Vallgren, who works at the emergency room.

The picture of the defective mouthguards is confirmed by several employees.

Among other things, SVT News has been in contact with a specialist nurse at another part of the hospital, who wants to be anonymous.

- The quality has become abusive last week. The new mouthguards quickly become full of moisture and cause wounds to the nasal root and cheeks. The feeling of using them is as my colleague said: "Like breathing through a coffee filter".

The specialist nurse tells us that the earlier models have been thicker, had a breathing valve and strong straps that can be attached around the head.

Documents received by SVT News show how nursing staff are recommended to remedy poor fit with "housewife tips". A tip is to pull the straps behind the neck and fasten the ends together with a clip.

- The mental work environment is affected. You come into contact with people who are likely to be contagious while wearing a mouthguard that you highly doubt helps, says the specialist nurse.

Frida Vallgren is skeptical about the safety of the mouthguard:

- I refuse to use them. I wonder who has checked these filters, there is no real answer to that.

During the corona crisis, ordinary protective materials have run out of Swedish hospitals. Mikael Köhler, acting health director in the Uppsala Region, confirms that there have been shortcomings in orders for new protective material.

- Not some big, but deficient definitely.

How can this be so?

- We are searching all over the world and are allowed to place orders outside our regular channels, sometimes a little on profit and loss.

Does anyone check if the guards are working properly?

- There are difficulties in controlling. We have made certain orders together with other county councils and have then done a joint check, then they have been defective and then we have canceled them. But I cannot guarantee that we may have checked everyone, says Mikael Köhler.