If you would have told me 6 months ago that I would be fined for walking on the street in Los Angeles without a mask, I would have assumed that you had just finished smoking whatever sample you had just been given at your local dispensary..

Over the last few months of our new insanity, our dutiful citizens have fashioned every imaginable permutation of face covering thought possible. every color, material, brand and size.

And yet...Almost none of them work. Know why? Because for a mask to work, you actually have to wear it.

Dangling under your chin? Not really... Hanging off your ear? Please! And that nose peeking over the edge so you can breathe is just asking for trouble.

So what's one to do?

Earlier this year, just as Covid-19 was grabbing headlines, a business associate of mine called me about a new mask concept that he was involved in and wanted me to take a look at. At Cutting Edge, we see scores of new products, solutions and inventions in the healthcare space, so it takes a lot to get me interested.

It was a product called the Savage Shield, and the minute I tried it on, I understood his excitement.

I love the feeling of waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth and starting off the day with minty fresh breath. By midday however, after a coffee and some breakfast, wearing a mask can be difficult for anyone. No one should have to smell the tuna salad sandwich they just ate. It's inhumane!

Now that's just me, who has to intermittently wear a mask. Imagine what our front line healthcare workers have to deal with during their long shifts. The thought is unbearable.

So what was so special about the Savage Shield?

It has a patented design that separates the nasal chamber from the oral chamber. Simple? Brilliant! No more cycling the Carbon Dioxide that you are exhaling with the Oxygen that you are inhaling. No more muffled communication. No more fogging of your glasses or goggles.

I have been wearing it every day since. It doesn't lose its shape. Maintains a tight yet comfortable silicone seal and best of all, it's a one time buy that is easily cleaned and sanitized and comes with replacement filters that have a BFE (Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) of 98

It is already revolutionizing the way healthcare workers are thinking about facial protection. No N95 masks available? No problem.