Society, surgery, FFP2 or N95? Which of the following is the safest in the face of a pandemic moment in the country? Should surgical masks be completely eliminated? The president of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology explains the differences between masks and recalls the golden rule in this epidemic
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The golden rule (and attention to testimony)
Antonio Moraes, president of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, told CNN Portugal that the golden rule is to wear a mask, whatever it is. Always wear a mask and everyone around us is wearing a mask. If “the surgical mask is used by everyone, it has a protection of about 90% and it is a high protection”, knowing that it is important to adhere to the rules of use and put it correctly on the face and change the mask after four hours. As for community masks, which are still widely used in society, Antonio Morris explains that, as was said at the Infarmed meeting, it is important to check whether they are approved, because this is the only way to obtain the necessary level of protection. “The problem is that a variety of masks of this type are not certified and may not provide adequate protection, either for their users or for those who come into contact with that person. Therefore, it is important that the masks are CITEVE evaluated and have the appropriate characteristics, otherwise they clearly do not have any protection.
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Should we abandon surgical masks?
Speaking to CNN Portugal, virologist Pedro Simas believes “surgical masks are enough”, not least because “Portugal is in the best condition possible” Thanks to the vaccination rate: “I don’t think masks are a problem.” In turn, the president of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology said that surgical masks should not be “totally eliminated”, noting that the particles filtered by the masks are the particles and what makes them different is the size of the particles they filter. “The virus has not changed,” says Antonio Moraes, and therefore “the mask that protected the previous variants is not without protection for this virus.” Therefore, the use of surgical masks – those that are usually sold in the supermarket – filter out the wearer’s particles, preventing them from spreading, and also protecting against stains. However, these masks are only effective if everyone uses them. “Surgical masks prevent our particles from escaping, but they are not effective in terms of the particles that come to us. Then FFP2 is more effective. But if everyone uses surgical masks, the protection is above 90%. So, surgical masks work if everyone is wearing a mask.” “.
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What are FFP2 masks?
Regarding the use of FFP2, the president of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology said that this type of mask “appears to have more protection than surgical masks, but studies on this topic are methodologically controversial”. “We have no evidence that they are super protective. By their nature – as respirators – they seem to be there, but I don’t have data to say that,” he adds. And what is this nature? The masks approved by FFP, which stands for face piece filtering, are called “self-filtering masks” or “respirators”. This mask, like the N95 masks, is a personal protective equipment (PPE) that acts as respiratory protection. Its purpose is to protect the user from inhaling the droplets and also from particles in the air that can contain infectious agents. The use of these masks can increase thermal and respiratory discomfort as they create a stronger barrier. Experts say FFP2 or FFP3 masks provide the best protection against the coronavirus, creating a 94% effective barrier against aerosols. Masks must have several layers of fabric, a metal brace that runs along the nose and says on its packaging it is Type II or III and CE rated, the Federal Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices in Germany confirms.
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And N95 masks?
N95 protection masks, considered the safest, allow washing, according to a study published in The scientific journal JAMA-Keep quality and high filtration after washing. The same publication states that after analyzing the use of these masks in different hospitals in the USA, the effectiveness of more than 90% has been proven, which is a value higher than that of surgical masks. N95s are able to filter out 95% or more of 0.3mm particles. As Antonio Morris recalls, “the particle size did not change with this Omicron variable.” Both FFP2 and N95 are more expensive than surgical procedures.
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