Masks for a Safer Tomorrow: How to Choose Them

The CoViD19 pandemic has changed everything around us, and it has pushed us to acquire new ways to take care of ourselves and to do things differently, which has been called “The new normal”.

The use of masks outside our houses is now essential, and still, this element will become even more important in the return to the work in the office.

FFP2, KN95, N95, N99, NIOSH are important indicators of the effectiveness of the masks. However, for many, it is an unknown language. Kaelis, the company that has joined the fight against CoViD19 around the world, explains the different concepts.

FFP2 comes from Filtering Facepiece. This is the European approval and it indicates that they can filter a minimum of 92%, recommended to avoid infectious aerosols from different diseases.

NIOSH comes from the acronym of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, who certifies the N9- masks.

The masks that indicate N95 or N99 comply with the American standard and that it ensures a minimum filtration efficiency of 95% or 99% respectively.

KN90 or KN95 masks comply with the Chinese standard GB2626 and ensure a minimum filtration efficiency of 90% and 95% respectively.

More details of the different types are described in the table below.

Pa = Pascal is the unit of the pressure of the International System of Unitsused to quantify the internal pressure, the tension and the ultimate tensile strength.
Source: 3M Technical Bulletin

Recommendations for the Use of Masks

To put on the mask:

Wash your hands with soap and water before manipulating the mask;
Identify the upper side of the mask;
Place the mask on your face by covering your mouth and nose and by placing the elastic ear-bands around your ears;
Adjust the nose-clip onto your nose; and
Ensure there are no gaps between the face and the mask, and you can breathe comfortably.

To remove the mask:

You must do it from behind, never touch the front of the mask.
You should discard in a closed container and as soon as possible.
Immediately wash your hands with soap and water or apply sanitary gel.

Other important recommendations:

Single-use masks must not be reused; they must be discarded immediately.
Once placed, do not touch the mask and if you do, wash your hands with soap and water or apply sanitary gel.
Discard the mask, if the mask is wet, torn or damaged. Replace it with a new mask immediately.