COVID-19: A guide to face masks
On 28 April, Nicola Sturgeon mentioned there may be ‘some benefit’ in wearing a cloth face covering in locations where social distancing was hard. But how do we know what masks are suitable for unique environments? Here’s couple of guide to face masks… Get additional information about China FFP2 mask
Kinds of face masks
The initial step in identifying the face mask to fit your requirements will be to know the unique varieties. Medical face masks are broken down into 2 most important categories; surgical masks and respirators. Listed below are some forms of masks you might have heard of:
Type I Face Mask
Kind I R Face Mask
Variety II Face Mask
Variety II R Face Mask
FFP2 Face Mask
FFP3 Face Mask
N95 Face Mask
What is the difference among Form I and Sort II Masks?
Form I, and Variety I R face masks have a BFE (bacterial filtration efficiency) of 95%, whereas Variety II and Form II R face masks have a BFE of 98%. The breathing resistance, and splash resistance for Form I R and Form II R masks, are exactly exactly the same.
Sort I, I R, II and II R face masks are medical masks tested within the direction of exhalation (inside to outdoors) and take into account the efficiency of bacterial filtration. Surgical masks of this form quit the wearer from infecting the surrounding atmosphere. They’re not productive at guarding the wearer from airbourne diseases such as coronavirus.
What exactly is a Form II Face Mask?
Type II face masks (EN14683) are medical face masks created up of a protective 3 ply building that prevents huge particles from reaching the patient or working surfaces, however they’re not efficient when blood or bodily fluids are present.
Characteristics of Variety II face masks consist of:
Pleat style with ear loops or ties
Protective three-layer building
Readily available inside a wide variety of colours and styles.
What exactly is a Type IIR Face Mask?
Type IIR face masks EN14683 are medical face masks made up of a 4 ply construction that prevents substantial particles from reaching the patient or working surfaces. Sort IIR Face masks incorporate a splash resistant layer to guard against blood and also other bodily fluids. Kind IIR face masks are tested in the direction of exhalation (inside to outdoors) and take into account the efficiency of bacterial filtration.
Qualities of Sort IIR face masks include:
Pleat style with ear loops or ties
Protective four-layer building
Out there within a wide variety of colours and designs
Splash resistant layer against bodily fluids.
Kind I, Form IR, Sort II and Form IIR masks are for use in protecting other individuals from the wearer transmitting infection.
What’s the distinction between FFP2 and FFP3 Face Masks?
FFP2 & FFP3 Face Masks are European classes of respirators, tested on the direction of inspiration (outside to inside) and take into account leakage to the face and filtration efficiency.
FFP2 face masks are the equivalent of N95 face masks, which meet the guidelines in the World Health Organisation for protection against Covid-19. FFP2 masks have a minimum of 94% filtration percentage and a maximum of 8% leakage to the inside. These masks will not be shaped to your face but are simply held in place by the elastic earloop and have a typical lifespan of 3-8 hours depending on environmental factors.
FFP3 face masks are the most productive at filtration, with a minimum filtration of 99% and a maximum leakage of 2% to the inside. These masks are better shaped to your face for a much more snug fit and typically possess a valve to help breathe as the filtration material is much thicker. The valve also reduces the build up of moisture, lengthening the lifespan of the mask. FFP3 masks are typically used for handling asbestos.
FFP2, FFP3, N95 as well as other respirator masks are powerful at defending the wearer from viral transmission.
It should be noted that N95 masks can not be officially legally recommended for use in Europe although in the current situation with PPE shortages in practice a additional flexible approach seems to be being taken.
What are the US and European Standards for face masks?
Medical masks and respirators undergo diverse standards and regulations, dependent on the geographical area to which they are manufactured.
Medical masks in Europe must comply with the European standard EN 14683, which have 3 levels of bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE1, BFE2, Type R). In the US medical masks must comply with ASTM standards, which have 3 levels of protection (from low risk of exposure to fluids to high risk of exposure to fluids).
Respirators in Europe must meet European standard EN 149: 2001, which includes three classes of disposable particulate respirators (FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3). Inside the US respirators must comply with NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standards.
Within this standard, there are several classes of respirators depending on the degree of oil resistance:
Class N: no oil resistance. A distinction is made among N95, N99 and N100. The number after the letter indicates the percentage of filtration of suspended particles.
Class R: mask resistant to oil for up to eight hours. Here again, a distinction is created involving R95, R99 and R100.
Class P: a completely oil-resistant mask. There are also P95, P99 and P100.