Different Types of Face Masks and The Protection They Offer

Different Types of Face Masks and The Protection They Offer

Keys, check. Wallet, check. Face mask, check!

Wearing a face mask has quickly become part of our daily routine, in-fact given our current situation you can’t leave the house without one if you want to enter most venues. Wearing a face mask, combined with other preventative measures, such as thorough hand hygiene and self-isolating if feeling unwell is an effective way of slowing down the spread of the Coronavirus.

There are many different types of face masks to choose from and it is important to know which ones can offer you the most protection.

P2/N95 Disposable Respirators

A P2/N95 respirator offers the highest level of protection as it is designed to seal tightly around the face, covering your nose, mouth, and chin, filtering out at least 95% of both large and small airborne particles that can contain viruses and bacteria.

There are two types of P2/N95 respirators: standard and surgical. They both offer the same amount of protection; however, the surgical respirators should be reserved for health care providers as it meets other specific standards such as fluid resistance, to protect the wearer against blood and body fluid splashes.

Re-usable Cloth Masks

Re-usable cloth masks act as a two-way barrier by protecting the wearer from inhaling droplets released by others and trap in their own respiratory droplets that are released when talking, sneezing and coughing. The most effective cloth masks have multiple layers of tightly woven fabric and should be washed after each use. Many re-useable cloth masks have adjustable ear loops and bendable nose pieces so you can tighten the mask around your face for a more secure fit.

Disposable Surgical Masks

The single-use surgical mask, also known as a medical mask, although easily found at many retailers, doesn’t offer as much protection as the P2/N95 masks. They loosely fit around the face therefore the wearer isn’t fully protected from the respiratory transmission of germs.

They are designed to protect the wearer from contact with droplets and sprays. To make these masks seal tightly around the face you can knot the ear loops where they attach to the mask and fold and tuck in the excess material under the edges. Remember to cut the ear loops of your mask when disposing of them to protect our wildlife.

Even though there are many different types of face masks to choose from it is important they meet TGA standards. This means they must have filter element grade types P2/KN 90/95/100 which offers at least a 90% filtration rate.

Shop our range of Face Masks today.

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