Despite the fact that a little more than ten months have passed since the start of the pandemic, the concern about each type of , its price and qualities continues to be on the lips of a large part of society. A doubt that, from the Ministry of Health, they insist on clarifying since a large part of the fight against .
As stated by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), Spaniards use masks more than they should. Much more. Thus, while the surgical and hygienic ones have an average of 12 hours of use, the FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 reach up to 13 hours.
A bad habit that makes wearing a mask on many occasions useless, especially if this use occurs in public and closed spaces, generating more infections than it should. For this reason, to protect yourself and others, it is more than recommended to follow the instructions of the manufacturers who have previously passed several health checks to ensure the reliability of the masks.
hygienic masks
Although they are not considered PPE or a medical device, they serve as a complement to basic measures such as distancing and hand washing. As for their classification, they can be both reusable and single-use.
While the former can be washed, following the manufacturer’s instructions, in order to extend their useful life, the latter are only useful during the first four hours of use. In addition, if they get wet or deteriorate due to weather conditions, they must be changed ahead of time since their effectiveness will be practically nil.
surgical masks
They are the most common, due to their lower cost and because they are the most suitable for healthcare environments. In addition, in the face of contagion from one to the rest, these PPE filter the exhaled air, preventing the spread of infectious agents.
Its maximum useful life time is, as in hygienic ones, four hours and it must be changed if for any reason it deteriorates before this time.
FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 masks
Unlike surgical ones, these masks are more recommended to prevent contagion from the outside towards oneself, as well as from oneself towards the rest. The difference between them lies in their filtration going from less to more according to the numbering (78%, 92% and 98%).
Being the most used in public and closed spaces, due to their high protection, their estimated useful life is eight hours in all cases. In addition, as was the case with surgical and hygienic ones, they must be changed if for any reason they are damaged before reaching the time limit.
Lastly, there are reusable and non-reusable ones, the former being the ones that can be washed and used for more days, but always following the measures indicated by the manufacturer in accordance with the proper health controls.
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