(AUGUST 21, 2020) - Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, 3M has played an important role in helping the world respond to this global crisis. 

3M responded early and rapidly to the COVID-19 outbreak, supplying critical products to the dedicated frontline health care workers and first responders fighting the pandemic. Since January, 3M has doubled respirator production globally. In the first half of 2020, we've delivered over 800 million respirators around the world, with 400 million in the U.S. 3M is on track to deliver 2 billion respirators globally by the end of the year.

Expanding manufacturing in the U.S. 

As the largest manufacturer of N95 respirators in the U.S., 3M continues to increase domestic production as well.

We are currently expanding our manufacturing capacity in the U.S. At 3M’s Aberdeen, SD, plant, we're adding new equipment, buildings, manufacturing lines – and adding jobs – to help increase N95 production in the U.S. to 95 million a month by this fall. 

But that’s not the only way 3M is helping. 

In addition to N95 respirators, 3M has maximized production of other solutions used in the response to COVID-19, including hand sanitizers and disinfectants.

How a side project grew into a tool that's helping in the fight against COVID-19 

One effort that became part of today’s fight against COVID-19 had its roots in a small biopharmaceutical filtration project at 3M in the 1990s. 

That resulting product line – the 3M™ Emphaze™ AEX Hybrid Purifier – uses a unique filter material that captures impurities while allowing the necessary drug substances to pass through. This technology combines two processes into a single step, which can help researchers obtain their final product more efficiently and in greater amounts. 

These 3M products are now being used by researchers and pharmaceutical companies to pursue therapies and vaccines to treat and protect against COVID-19. 

Partnering with other companies on innovative solutions 

Early in the outbreak, leaders at 3M realized that helping with the fight against COVID-19 was going to require finding new ways to work with other companies and organizations on innovative solutions. Some of the work we’ve done to approach the challenge from different angles includes:

• Working with MIT to develop a rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 that could potentially detect viral antigens and deliver results within minutes via a paper device without the need to be sent to a laboratory. 
• Providing expertise in personal safety equipment, technology and regulatory requirements to help Ford Motor Company rapidly design a new powered air-purifying respirator, or PAPR. 
• Partnering with engine manufacturer Cummins, to increase production of high efficiency particulate filters for use in 3M's PAPRs. 
• Collaborating with several manufacturers and institutions that are investigating ways for hospitals to safely decontaminate, reuse and extend the life of N95 respirators under FDA Emergency Use Authorizations. 
• Partnering with Nissha Medical Technologies to develop a face shield with anti-fog capabilities to improve the visibility and comfort of health care providers during prolonged clinical wear. 
• Collaborated with HP to share free-of-charge large-format graphics for commercial signage applications that are crucial to communicate social distancing and health and safety messages as public spaces, workplaces and businesses reopen amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic.

Protecting the public from fraud 

We launched a global effort to combat fraud and price gouging and help protect the public against those who try to exploit the demand for critical 3M products during a pandemic. 3M has not and will not increase its prices for N95 and other respirators as a result of the pandemic and the company is working with law enforcement authorities, technology companies and online resellers to prevent fraud before it starts and stop it where it is occurring. 

3M has filed more than a dozen lawsuits in federal courts across the United States and in Canada to fight fraud and has won multiple temporary restraining and preliminary injunction orders in these cases putting a stop to the defendants’ unlawful activities. 3M’s legal team members have investigated more than 4,000 reports globally of suspected fraud, counterfeiting, and price gouging and successfully secured the removal of more than 7,000 e-commerce listings with fraudulent or counterfeit product offerings and more than 10,000 false or deceptive social media posts to date.

We’ll donate any monetary damages from these lawsuits to COVID-19 related nonprofits, including Direct Relief. 

3M has launched a website that provides more information on these and other 3M efforts to fight respirator fraud, counterfeiting, and price gouging.

Helping communities around the world 

3M has responded with cash and product donations since the COVID-19 outbreak began – including respirators, surgical masks and hand sanitizer – through local and global humanitarian aid partners. We have committed $20 million as a cornerstone financial gift supporting community partners working to address critical needs. In addition, 3M and the 3M Foundation have committed $10 million in cash and product donations to COVID-19 response efforts throughout 2020. - (3M)