Should I Start Wearing a Mask?
Not found for many weeks, respiratory masks are again available everywhere and models are multiplying. Surgical mask, FFP2 mask, KN95 or N95 mask. Faced with all these standards, it becomes difficult to navigate, especially when you are not used to using this kind of medical device.
The FFP2, KN95 or N95 mask: masks reserved for medical personnel?
The FFP2 mask is a filtering respiratory device intended to protect the person wearing it from the inhalation of infectious agents which can be transmitted by air. The FFP2 mask is part of the FFP mask category, either in English filtering facepiece (literally “filtering face piece”). The number following the letters FFP (1, 2 or 3) corresponds to the filtration efficiency class, the FFP1 mask being rather a “dust-proof” mask and ffp3 face masks uk being the more filtering mask. The model which interests us here and which is the most widespread in the fight against the coronavirus is the mask FFP2. This device aims to filter all harmful substances, whether chemical or infectious. Its filtration capacity is at least 94%. The FFP2 mask is more rigid than the surgical mask and some models have a valve allowing better breathing comfort.
The FFP2 mask therefore has a greater filtration capacity than a simple surgical mask. It must be worn in risky situations, especially in the presence of a contagious patient. It is used by medical personnel during intervention in contact with infected persons.
What are the differences between FFP2, N95 and KN95 masks?
The N95 and KN95 protective masks are equivalent to the FFP2 face mask uk. The N95 mask corresponds to the standard used in the American zone and the KN95 mask meets the standard in force in China and South Korea. Their characteristics are very close and this is only a story of standards used by the different countries of the world.