Most people know that masks are mainly worn to protect others. It was not previously clear how susceptible one actually is to other people’s coughing and sneezing when it comes to contagion with the corona virus. A study now backs this up with precise numbers. You can find out which masks still provide protection here.
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Difference: face mask and respirator
First we have to distinguish between two different protective masks: A face mask is not the same as a respirator .
The classic mouthguard, also known as a surgical face mask, is actually worn by doctors and surgeons during operations. These are not there to protect yourself from contagion! Rather, to prevent infectious droplets from the respiratory tract from getting into the surgical area. In other words: With a face mask, we primarily protect other people from our own germs.
Respirators are masks that primarily filter harmful substances from the air. There are different variants. In addition to simple fleece masks, so-called FFP masks are also available. These can be divided into three types:
FFP1: They protect against normal dust in the air
FFP2: They protect against smoke and harmful dust in the air
FFP3: They protect against toxic, carcinogenic and radioactive substances in the air
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Do face masks protect against corona infection?
Experts currently believe that wearing a face mask is unnecessary . According to the Robert Koch Institute, there is no evidence that a face mask would significantly reduce the risk of infection for healthy people.
As the above statement already reveals, a face mask is not intended to protect against infection. Rather, it prevents viruses and germs from being transmitted to others for a certain period of time . Care must be taken to change it about every two hours. Because the mask moistens through breathing and after a while becomes a germ reservoir itself.
In this respect, it makes perfect sense to wear a face mask if you yourself suffer from cold or flu symptoms. However, grab even thenother protective measures are much more effective : thorough, regular hand washing , the correct coughing and sneezing etiquette and observing social distancing.
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New study: Masks do not protect against sneezing and coughing
Most people are now aware that masks are mainly worn to protect others from themselves. How vulnerable you actually are to other people’s coughing and sneezing has not been clear until now. Now American scientists from New Mexico State University have shown in a study how many particles really get through most masks . They compared five different masks with each other and had them sneeze on 40,000 droplets or cough on 3,000 droplets from a distance of 1.83 meters.
A standard two-ply cloth mask lets through 3.6 percent of droplets . This amount can be enough to lead to infection with the corona virus. 1.7 percent of the droplets got through two-layer fabric masks with fine dust filters (PM 2.5). Only the N95 mask , the highest standard of the American Federal Agency for Occupational Health Research Niosh, filtered all droplets from the air. The N95 standard corresponds to the European FFP2 standard. You are therefore on the safer side with an FFP2 mask . When buying a mask, pay attention to the European certification “CE 2163” – available for example here as a pack of 10 or here as a pack of 20 .
The study used scientific data to show how high the risk of infection can be when wearing a normal mask. It therefore serves as an illustration of the importance of distance rules and the additional self-protection that FFP2 masks offer over conventional masks.
Hygiene measures more effective than face masks
Conclusion: The equipment urgently needed in the health system, as well as the face mask, should definitely be given priority there, as they are not significantly relevant in society anyway. Instead, citizens should rather resort to the recommended hygiene measures , such as regular hand washing and keeping the minimum distance from other people.
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Editor’s note: This article contains, among other things, product recommendations. When selecting the products, we are free from the influence of third parties. For mediation via our affiliate links , we receive a commission from the relevant service provider/online shop when a purchase or mediation is made, with the help of which we can continue to offer independent journalism.
