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The obligation to cover the mouth and nose is one of many that all Poles must comply with in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearing masks has become our everyday life. However, not all of them protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection as effectively. Which masks are the best choice for us and why should you wear them?
Filtering half masks – more and more often recommended
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted by airborne droplets. Research has shown that it can stay long both in the air and on surfaces, including kitchen countertops, door handles, handrails, and even clothes and hair (up to 48 hours). Moreover, the virus is resistant to temperature differences. That is why it is so important to limit its transmission, which ensures the simultaneous observance of three basic rules: social distancing, proper hand hygiene and wearing masks. In this way, we protect not only ourselves but also others.
More and more European Union countries, including Germany, Austria and France encourage their citizens to wear masks other than cloth masks. In Germany, the wearing of FFP2 type surgical masks will be compulsory in public spaces, work places, shops and public transport. Since February, these rules have also been implemented on board passenger planes and airline portals. Stricter regulations also apply in France, especially in educational institutions, where citizens must equip themselves with Category 1 masks that filter at least 90% of particles dispersed in the air.
Today, instead of asking whether we need masks, one should, in my opinion, ask ourselves what masks to use – says Prof. Andrzej Gładysz, Internal medicine and infectious diseases specialist. – Medical (surgical) masks, in their technical parameters and design, were to fulfill a completely different function. In contrast, in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, we need a more “sophisticated” device. I mean, for example, filtering half masks, i.e. devices that constitute personal protective equipment – adds the expert.
FFP2 or FFP3 filtering half masks are more and more frequently recommended personal protection products. They are constructed in such a way that, without limiting the possibility of free breathing, they can effectively stop harmful factors such as bacteria, viruses or dust suspended in the air. What’s more, this type of mask fits the face tightly, so that untreated air does not pass through the crevices.
I am convinced of the validity of this argument, recommending the use of filtering half-masks in epidemics. It is also regulated by legal arguments and applicable European standards in this area, i.e. EN 14683 for medical masks and EN 149 for filtering half masks. In this sense, the law and standards clearly indicate that for the protection of the user and patient, devices of the EN 149 standard are recommended. Therefore, in a viral epidemic, it is necessary to use FFP2, FFP3 filtering half masks, which are biologically clean and necessarily without ventilation valves, which are unilaterally they only protect the user of the mask – says Prof. Andrzej Gładysz.
Freedom of breathing is extremely important not only for medical personnel, but also for all people who use masks in the workplace. Therefore, the producers of these products strive to provide products of the highest quality. In Poland, they are meticulously tested for the effectiveness of protection even against small particles such as the coronavirus. This type of research was introduced by the National Research Institute in Warsaw. A good-quality mask must also be certified by the Central Institute for Labor Protection.
What does the abbreviation FFP2 and FFP3 stand for?
Among the many types of protective masks, models marked as FFP2 and FFP3 are becoming more and more popular. What is behind these names? The numbers represent the protection class, informing us about the effectiveness of filtering.
FFP2 and FFP3 masks differ in their effectiveness in retaining 0,4 to 0,6 micrometers in size and in the level of penetration by harmful particles transmitted by droplets. Thus, the effectiveness of FFP2 is 94%, and that of FFP3 is 99%.
In this type of epidemic, the protection of the upper respiratory tract, especially the nose, is a much more important element. For this reason, we should use the most effective devices available on the market. In this case, such a condition is met by the FFP2 and FFP3 type filtering half-masks, which are characterized by a verifiable, very high level of protection. Remember that the effectiveness of protection depends both on the level of filtration, which in the case of these devices is very high, and on the amount of air sucked in through the mask leaks. This is the basic difference between a medical mask and a filtering half mask – explains Prof. Gladysz.
FFP2 masks – not only for medics
One of the examples of the FFP2 filtering half mask is the product of the BISAF BS2 AIR brand. It meets the standards EN 149: 2001 + A1: 2009 and Directive 93/42 / EEC, and has also been entered in the register of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products.
BS2 AIR masks, thanks to 5 times lower breathing resistance, provide a very high wearing comfort, which is important for people who have to wear them all day, having breathing problems or practicing sports. Their additional advantage is not only a high level of filtration (≥ 94% confirmed by tests with particles of 60-160 nanometers corresponding to the size of the coronavirus), but also a convenient shape.
More details on the parameters and effectiveness of FFP2 and FFP3 masks can be found on the BiSAF website.