Disposable Face Masks

During an outbreak of a virus like COVID-19, it’s particularly important to wear a face mask in crowded places or clinical environments, such as your GP surgery and hospital.

When used with frequent hand-washing and hand sanitiser, you’ll lower the risk of spreading an infection to others, which may be on your mind if you have a vulnerable or elderly person in your life.

It’s most likely not your mask that’s the problem, but the way you wear it.

Check that your mask is fitted tightly to your face and further up your nose - this will ensure that your breath isn’t escaping to fog up the lenses.

If it’s too loose, tighten the ear loops or try sticking some surgical tape on the bridge of your nose to secure the mask.

FFP2, N95, and KN95 face masks are all essentially the same, with each filtering out 95% of particles when you use them.

FFP2, N95, and KN95 are the codes used for manufacturing standards in different parts of the world, with FFP2 being used in the EU and UK, N95 being used in America, and KN95 being used in China.

These safety standards are the closest possible equivalents to each other when compared, so all of these masks essentially offer the same benefits.

If you know you are going to be in an enclosed space, such as a shop or train, the government has advised that you wear a face mask.

This is because you will be in contact with people who are not in your household, in an environment where social distancing isn’t possible and face masks are useful to help prevent the spread of the virus from person to person.

Similarly, advice published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that anyone who is coughing or sneezing or looking after a person with COVID-19, should wear a face mask.

It is said that sharing is caring, but no one will thank you for sharing a potentially deadly disease.

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