Popular science | Classification and application of commonly used masks

"Ordinary mask", "medical protective mask", "medical surgical mask", "disposable medical mask", "KN95/N95 and above particle protective mask" These various professional terms of masks are dazzling, and you can't help asking: How are these masks classified? What mask should I use when? Are medical masks better than ordinary masks? Is it too exaggerated for ordinary people to wear N95 masks? And it's so painful... Today, let's elaborate on the above problems.
Details
/Classification of masks/
POINT
01
Disposable medical mask
General medical masks follow the recommended standard YY/T0969-2013 "Disposable medical masks" of the pharmaceutical industry, and the protection level of such masks is relatively low. This type of mask can not effectively prevent pathogens from invading through the respiratory tract, nor can it effectively protect particles and bacterial viruses.
Application: This kind of mask is recommended to be used by the public in non-personnel intensive places and replaced every 4 hours.
POINT
02
surgical mask
The medical surgical mask complies with the mandatory standard YY0469-2011 Technical Requirements for Medical Surgical Mask, with a medium protection level. Non-oil particle filtration efficiency ≥ 30%, bacterial filtration efficiency ≥ 95%.
Application: Usually used in the environment with body fluid and blood splash, such as hospital operating room. During the epidemic period, it is suitable for use in crowded places such as buses, taxi drivers, sanitation workers, shopping malls, airports, railway stations, etc., and it is replaced every 4 hours.
POINT
03
N95/KN95/FFP2 particle protective mask
KN95/N95 is not a specific product name. The models of N95, KN95, FFP2 and other masks are derived from the general protective mask standards of the United States, China and Europe.
one
KN95 mask
The standard of general respirator GB 2626-2006 Respiratory Protective Equipment Self-priming Filtration Anti-particle Respirator and GB/T 32610-2016 Technical Specification for Daily Protective Respirator are mainly implemented.
In the GB 2626-2006 standard, the respirator for preventing particles is divided into KN category for filtering non-oil particles and KP category for filtering oil and non-oil particles. The KN95 respirator is a common self-suction filtration respiratory protective device for protecting various particles with filtering ≥ 95.0% non-oil particles. In the GB/T 32610-2016 standard, the masks are divided into Class I - III, of which the Class II filter efficiency masks fully meet the KN95 standard. In addition, all medical protective masks also meet the KN95 standard.
two
N95 respirator
In fact, there is no N95 in the Chinese standard. N95 originates from the NIOSH CFR 42-84 standard of the general protective mask in the United States. N95 represents the filtration efficiency of non-oil particles ≥ 95%, which is the same as KN95.
three
FFP2 mask
Conforming to European EN 149-2001 standard, FFP2 represents the filtration efficiency of oily and non-oily particles ≥ 94%, basically the same as N95/KN95.
Application: N95/KN95/FFP2 respirator is applicable to field exploration, sampling and detection personnel. It is not recommended to wear N95/KN95/FFP2 respirator with breathing valve according to the instructions or every 6-8h.
POINT
04
Medical protective mask
The medical protective mask is in accordance with the standard GB 19083-2010/EN14683-2019, which is the highest level of protection classification. All medical protective masks fully meet the standard of N95/KN95 masks.
Application: The medical protective mask is applicable to the medical staff in the fever clinic, isolation ward and the transfer of confirmed patients. Replace it according to the instructions or every 6-8h.
/Summary/
In a word, in terms of protective ability, medical protective mask>ordinary N95/KN95/FFP2 particle protective mask>medical surgical mask>ordinary medical mask. It is recommended that different people choose appropriate masks according to the specific working environment.