In the middle of the pandemic, cloth masks became the best ally against because they counteract the transmission of the virus, avoid the production of much waste with the use of single masks and, in addition, however, this type of In its By default, health personnel distribute surgical masks, as also happened at polling stations during the . Thus, the surgical mask has positioned itself as the best option to combat the transmission of the virus.
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What is a surgical mask: for people with symptoms (in theory)
The La Peseta firm mask has a pocket to insert the filter
The one in which he explained that approved hygienic masks are the ones that healthy people should use, surgical masks are for people who present symptoms and FFP2 should be reserved for health personnel. However, the wide assortment of masks on the market today or the rise of homemade masks has led several public administrations to mistrust hygienic cloth masks. Thus, surgical masks are positioned as the best option to be safe against the virus, since FFP2 or KN95 are also safe but too restrictive and uncomfortable.
What is a surgical mask: they are the ones that are used to seeing in clinical environments. Its objective is to prevent health personnel and infected patients (or suspected of being infected) from transmitting infectious agents. They are intended to filter exhaled air. Its mission is to protect those around you, preventing viral spread by sneezing, coughing or talking.
Types of surgical masks: according to the Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (EFB), they are type I (more than 95%) or type II (more than 98%). The latter can also be resistant to splashes (blood and other biological liquids) if they are designated IIR.
What requirements must a surgical mask have: the label must have the CE seal, which ensures that the product complies with the legislation; the reference to the UNE EN 14683 standard, which ensures compliance with a quality standard, and whether it is Type I or Type II.
How to make a surgical cloth mask
The best way to obtain a reusable and washable cloth mask that acts like a surgical mask is to make this filter. It can be purchased online and must be approved under the UNE-EN ISO 14683:2019 standard. An example of these
Where to buy filters for surgical masks
Filters for approved washable reusable fabric masks. Photo: Dreamtime
. Only the UNE-EN ISO 14683:2019 filters, regarding surgical masks, and the UNE 0065:2020, regarding hygienic masks, are the ones that are approved.
This material can be obtained through e-commerce platforms such as or . However, they are also present in some pharmacies or smaller stores such as , founded in 1939, which offers a wide selection of approved filters, capable of inhibiting the action of all kinds of materials, from pollens or polluting particles, to toxic gases caused by by chemical materials. O , which sells single-layer filter packs, which filter around 99% of airborne bacteria and viruses, as required by the UNE-EN ISO 14683:2019 standard for surgical masks. The prices of these filters are between 10 and 25 euros depending on the type and number of filters.
How to put on, wear and take off a surgical mask
to prevent contamination. Below are the highlights.
1. Before putting on a mask, you must disinfect your hands with alcohol or soap and water
2. You have to cover your mouth and nose
3. Avoid touching the mask during use; if it is done, you have to disinfect your hands
4. To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of the mask).
How to know if my reusable and washable hygienic cloth mask is approved
Those are the ones that today are in question. This protection system is a non-sanitary material that the Government recommends for use by healthy people and that must follow a series of specificities.
What is one: it is a non-sanitary product that covers the mouth, nose and chin provided with a fastening to the head or ears.
Types of hygienic masks:
1. Masks that meet the UNE 0064 (single-use) and 0065 (reusable) requirements. The product labeling must include these specifications.
2. Masks with other specifications: these are those that are tested and do not meet the UNE quality standard or have simply been tested based on other standards. They can indicate on their labeling that they have undergone these tests and show the results obtained.
3. Masks without specifications
What requirements should a hygenic mask have?
For the production of reusable hygienic masks, the Government distributed the ‘. A clothing guide for both companies that want to market hygienic masks and for people who want to make them at home. The key points of this fabrication are:
1. Bacterial filtration efficiency (BEF): for reusable hygienic masks, it must be equal to or greater than 90%. And the breathability should be less than 60 Pa/CM2.
2. Washing: the mask must be able to withstand at least 5 washing cycles at 60º C and air drying. After this process, the manufacturer must be able to guarantee that the reusable hygienic mask continues to meet the objectives of bacterial filtration efficiency.
3. Materials: the hygienic mask can be made up of one or several layers (of a material or combination of materials), as long as it meets the acceptance criteria indicated in the UNE:0065 specification. In addition, the material of the piping of the mask must be of similar composition to that of the body.
4. Equipment for making: to make the masks, you must have a flat sewing machine with stitch regulation at 4, a pattern cutting machine or scissors, a No. 80 ball point needle and sewing thread.
How to know if my homemade hygienic cloth mask protects from coronavirus
At the beginning of the pandemic, the US administration released a video, starring Jerome Michael Adams, US surgeon general and vice president of the country’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention. However, experts knocked down this method because a simple walking cloth at home did not prevent the spread of the virus.
To avoid these mistakes, the different governments launched their specificities to make a mask at home. Furthermore, recently, Simon Kolstoe, a professor at the University of Portsmouth, has published an article in which he explains
First method: it consists of recording someone vaping with a mask on and checking the smoke output. This system is good to check the effectiveness, but also if it is necessary to adjust the chin more, or the nose.
Second trick: the other test consists of blowing out a candle with the mask on. The more complex it is to put out the fire with the mask on, the more effective it will be.
How to wash a reusable approved mask
The one where he explains how cleaning and disinfection of reusable hygienic masks should be. In this guide, the ministry proposes different methods:
1. Washing and disinfection of the masks with normal detergent and water at a temperature between 60º-90º.
2. Immerse the masks in a 1:50 bleach dilution with warm water for 30 minutes. Then wash with soap and water and rinse well to remove any traces of bleach and leave to dry.
3. Use disinfectant products with virucidal activity to disinfect reusable hygienic masks
FFP2 and KN95 masks: for health personnel or those who are in close contact with the virus
KN95 masks
The one published on September 28 extended the permit for a type of mask from the US or China that began to be sold in April due to the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the time and through a
However, it is a type of protection that the Government does not advise against its use in healthy people because it must be reserved for health professionals or those who have direct contact with a patient: “They are fundamentally recommended for use by professionals to create a barrier between a potential risk and the user. They can also be recommended for vulnerable groups by medical indication”,
FFP2 and FFP3 masks with a valve: prohibited because they spread the virus
The Xunta de Galicia prohibited the use of FFP2 and FFP3 masks with a valve
The filtering capacity of the FFP2 or KN95 masks makes them an element that makes breathing too difficult and can even give a feeling of being overwhelmed. For this reason, many people turned to the FFP2 and FFP3 masks with a valve to maintain the same degree of protection but improve breathing. However, these options only protect the wearer because the virus can be exhaled by the individual. Thus, the valved, and the
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