Q: What type of mask is effective for Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ?
- Surgical mask and N95 respirators.
- N95 respirators offer higher level protection
- WHO recommends N95, FFP2, or equivalent respirator.
- CDC recommends NIOSH-certified disposable N95
- Typically N95 recommended for healthcare workers for airborne precaution and should be used during be used during aerosol generating procedures due to tight fitting design.
Mask type and comparison
Anti virus & Anti bacteria function:
N95>Surgical mask>FFP1>active carbon mask> fabric mask > sponge mask
- Surgical mask (strongest protection)
- N95 respirator (medical use)
- FFP1 (isolate suspended particles)
- Active carbon mask (unpleasant smell or surrounding)
- Fabric mask (keep warm in cold weather)
- Sponge mask (aesthetic use, barely any protection function)
Be cautious on counterfeit N95 mask
- CDC web page provides a table of NIOSH-approved N95 respirators, listed alphabetically by manufacturer, model number / product line. Not all product and model qualified for N95 function.
- Qualified N95 mask is approved by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) /JKKP (Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan)
- Malaysia manufactured will have JKKP approved label .
- Fullfill requirement of European Standard (EN 149:2001) & FFR classification .
- EN 149 European standard for face pieces – filtering halfmasks to protect against particles
- According to OSHA, The use of counterfeit or altered respirators can jeopardize worker health and safety. there is no way of knowing whether these products or parts meet the stringent testing and quality assurance requirements of NIOSH and will provide workers with the expected level of protection.
Be cautious on counterfeit surgical mask
- According to OSHA, only surgical masks that are regulated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are legally marketed in the United Stated and have been tested for their ability to resist blood and body fluids.
Note:
-Personally i find it difficult to identify counterfeit features of surgical mask. So i actually prefer N95 mask.
-Here’s some counterfeit test and doubtful brands shared by forum regarding counterfeit surgical mask and FDA surgical mask. Do share with me if you have more reliable source to verify and identify counterfeit feature of surgical mask.
WHO background
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- United Nations specialized agency (headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland) responsible for world public health .
- Primary role is to direct international health within the United Nations’ system and to lead partners in global health responses.
- WHO constitution signed by 61 countries
NIOSH background
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- United States federal agency responsible for research and recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.
- NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CDC background
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Leading national public health institute of the United States.
- United States federal agency responsible to protect public health and safety through control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability in US and internationally.
- The health care information on CDC is reliable and highly recommended by medical doctors. It’s actually recommended by my specialist wellness doctor from famous private hospital.
- CDC information also recommended by Havard Health Publishing by Havard Medical School.
OSHA background
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Agency of United States Department of Labor
- established under Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), responsible to assure safe and healthy working conditions, enforce standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance
-the information provided is based on personal experiences & worthy information from reference materials during purchase. Do get professional advice for best practice.
Credits :
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1791123O/2019-novel-coronavirus-outbreak.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=mOV1aBVYKGA&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=31&v=1APwq1df6Mw&feature=emb_logo
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center#Prevention
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandDifferenceInfographic-508.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institute_for_Occupational_Safety_and_Health
http://emag.medicalexpo.com/which-masks-actually-protect-against-coronavirus/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization
https://www.osha.gov/video/respiratory_protection/niosh_transcript.html
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/respirators-vs-surgicalmasks-factsheet.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Administration
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