Update #25
about 3 years ago
– Fri, Jan 15, 2021 at 10:58:59 PM
Dear SEEUS95 Backers:
We want to send a big shout out to Shawn, Jeffrey KM, John W, Bruce, Nathaniel Burger, Rebecca, Mary, Cynthia, Jackie K, and Maxwell for their accurate insight and words of support.
We are working tirelessly to achieve the best product with your masks. As outlined and stated in the last 4 updates we have experienced delays and we are very sorry for this frustration, believe us that we are far more frustrated and disappointed than any one. We realize that to the detriment of enthusiasm, most people are used to instant gratification devoid of meaning and yet in reality massive long term gains are achieved through patience. One thing is for certain, we will never stop until you have your masks.
With the few backers that have been sending some not so nice comments:
(Apologies to the backers that previously read and digested this info in our past updates.) This is not a shopping platform.
As stated in Kickstarter:
"Project delays can happen for a number of reasons. Sometimes creators hit unexpected roadblocks while they’re working on their project, or underestimate how much time it takes to complete a project and fulfill rewards. Unlike an online shop, there’s a chance something could prevent the creator from finishing the project as promised."
Estimated delivery dates are not firm ship dates. The project itself must first be completed before rewards can be fulfilled. As such, it’s not uncommon for refinements and modifications to push back a project’s estimated delivery date. In cases where a creator is delayed, we expect that they will be open, honest, and communicative with backers about the change in timeline and the cause(s) of the delays."
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde
Due to our experience with delivery in our past campaigns we are confident that we will get these delivered, and we thank you for your patience and positive support. We are sorry for your frustration and we are doing every thing we can to make sure you have a quality product. If this was easy, everyone would be doing it. As stated earlier we had received information for our manufacturers that we would receive our first batch of mass produced masks for testing but there were delays which we found out as stated in update #23. this mask is a new invention and the intricacy of our design is requiring manufacturers to have an extended process of testing. This form and its details with silicone have not been done before. We have stated clearly in our campaign that we were in prototype stage and we were awaiting mass production. With many products, that go from prototype to mass production there is a diligence and time extensive period for testing and revisions that occur with detailing and executing a mass production line. A novel and innovative product like your mask is difficult due to the unique design and unfortunately has had unforeseen challenges. The risks and challenges were outlined in Kickstarter and our campaign from the onset (see risks and challenges paragraph on our campaign page).
Our shipping estimate still holds for March, as stated in Update #23.
We have had some responses to our last Update #24 that indicate there is a false sense of security with having a vaccine.
For people who have commented that they will not need a mask any more, please read these following articles with insight from our country's most renowned experts on the subject.
NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-mask.html
Here’s Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask
"The new vaccines will probably prevent you from getting sick with Covid. No one knows yet whether they will keep you from spreading the virus to others...“A lot of people are thinking that once they get vaccinated, they’re not going to have to wear masks anymore,” said Michal Tal, an immunologist at Stanford University. “It’s really going to be critical for them to know if they have to keep wearing masks, because they could still be contagious.”
Nurse gets COVID19 after receiving Vaccine: "Yes, you can still get infected with COVID-19 after being vaccinated. Here's why"
ABC news article: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wear-mask-covid-19-vaccine/story?id=74858114
"-Vaccination does not provide instant immunity. Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna's vaccines require two doses administered weeks apart. Depending on the vaccine, it can take four to six weeks from initial dosing to achieve immunity and protection levels comparable to those in clinical trials. During this time it is still possible to contract an infection and fall ill.
-Vaccination trials did not track whether participants wore masks. While clinical trials have strict enrollment and monitoring criteria, it isn't clear whether those participating in the studies were provided guidance on mask usage. Given a lack of data, it is not clear whether vaccination efficacy had anything to do with vaccine trial participants adhering to public health safety measures, like wearing masks.
The herd immunity threshold for COVID-19 is unknown. Herd immunity occurs when enough of the population is exposed to the virus, typically through vaccination, and limits the ability of the virus to spread. The percentage of population requiring immunization to achieve herd immunity varies by disease. For example, with measles, 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated in order to limit spread. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the herd immunity threshold for COVID-19 has yet to be established.
The duration of vaccine immunity is unknown. The Food and Drug Administration requires a median two months of safety and efficacy data following completion of the vaccination regimen for emergency use authorization. The length of vaccine coverage is yet to be determined and will be monitored as vaccination campaigns are rolled out. The good news is that our immune system's memory cells, which identify infections and mounts an immune response, persisted beyond six months in certain patients infected with COVID-19.
As we further understand this virus and the vaccine's efficacy, we must continue to follow public health measures aimed at decreasing exposure to coronavirus such as wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing."
‘It’s not hard to do’
"Sometimes, it takes a pandemic to change behavior. Across East Asia, mask wearing really took off in the aftermath of the SARS outbreak in 2003. The U.S. was largely spared from SARS. But in Hong Kong, where more than 280 people died, there was widespread panic. All of that led to many countries developing practices around how to tamp down on potential disease outbreaks early, with measures like social distancing, travel bans, and masks.
Almost two decades later, this advanced planning gave the region an edge when it came to Covid-19. Many people already had a mask or two at home and had become used to wearing one. In countries like Taiwan, those who did not wear a mask were occasionally even publicly shamed on social media for failing to take proper precautions.
William Hsiao, emeritus professor of economics in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told CNBC that in these cultures, there’s a strong feeling that sometimes people have to sacrifice their “individual desires and benefits” for the sake of their community. That helped countries like Taiwan and Vietnam, which have experienced relatively few cases of Covid-19, come together to face a threat in a more unified way. In Taiwan, only 7 people have died from the virus, while Vietnam has reported just 35 deaths.
In the West, it hasn’t been as easy to disseminate public health measures. Not all Americans have eagerly embraced mask-wearing, even in the height of the pandemic. Research organizations like Brookings say that “a culture of individualism” is an obstacle. Americans aren’t as used to putting the needs of the community ahead of themselves.
Still, some Americans say their perspective has fundamentally shifted. Rather than powering through illness by going to school or work as normal, they say they’d take extra precautions or stay home. And some say that they’d be comfortable wearing a mask in a crowded setting from now on.
“I grew up going to school, even if I was sick” said Spencer Guthrie, 45, from San Francisco. “I never missed a single day of school from K-12.”
But Guthrie said his views have changed since the start of the pandemic. He would take greater precautions now if he felt under the weather. “Masks are not the slightest bit inconvenient for long periods of time if you find one that fits well,” he said."
With that said, we believe this is will still be a game changer even with March shipping. There will be new viruses in the future, please note that the SARs MERs virus was years ago 2003 and now the virus strain COVID-19 is proven to be a related strain of the former viruses which is why they are all called coronaviruses. (even the flu and common cold are coronaviruses)Thus far the Covid19 virus has mutated 15 times since January 2020.
Rest assured we will get through this and we will prevail, deliver and continue to inform, endure, and share all knowledge in this process. You have our loyalty and perseverance in this incredibly important time in history where you partake in bringing this important idea into reality.
Some insight on mass production:
Thomas Edison and other inventors invented the light bulb from 1878 to 1880. Edison (took 3 years) and another 100 years to get to mass production, (by Will Coolidge). Edison's associates worked on at least 3000 different designs to develop an efficient incandescent lamp. Coolidge worked from 1910-1990s and long life bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs become available to the public in 1990's.
Were people initially resistant to this new idea"?
Yes. The only thing that might have been more dangerous was the system of gas lights that people were already using, so people were drawn to electric light, hoping it would be safer. Lots of people were electrocuted in the early days, both innocent bystanders and those working for the companies. It took quite a long time for people to put it into their houses. (BTW our other company Solight Design solves this issue for BOP countries living with out electricity or infrastructure)
With current technology and visionaries like your self, new inventions can and will be accessible to the public in a fraction of that time and we are forever grateful for your vision and support. You continue to inspire us to achieve, you are on our minds every minute of the day.
This quote keeps us on our path to success, (our internal response to naysayers) and we will not stop till you get all your rewards.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” -Ted Roosevelt
Thank you to all. Bless you and all your loved ones, we wish you all amazement, wonder, and joy.
Love and Light
SEEUS95 Team