Cloth face coverings are no longer good enough in Austria and Germany, with citizens now forced to wear medical-grade FFP2 masks on public transport, in shops, businesses, pharmacies, hospitals and doctors offices. Express.co.uk explains everything you need to know about FFP2 masks.
What’s an FFP2 mask?
FFP2 masks are compulsory in most public settings in Austria and Germany, and there’s a good reason for it.
FFP2 masks are a type of medical respirator mask, just like FFP3, N95 and N99 masks.
They prevent wearers from breathing in contaminants in the air and are said to be more protective than fabric masks or surgical masks.
According to the World Health Organisation, medical masks such as FFP2 masks are:
- composed of 3 layers of synthetic nonwoven materials
- configured to have filtration layers sandwiched in the middle
- available in different thicknesses
- have various levels of fluid-resistance and filtration
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FFP2 masks have a minimum of 94 percent filtration percentage and a maximum of eight percent leakage to the inside.
They aren’t shaped to your face but are held in place by the elastic ear loop.
You can wear FFP2 masks for about three to eight hours, depending on environmental factors.
As a type of respirator mask, FFP2 masks have a tightly fitted component to them that makes them ideal for healthcare workers.
Should I buy an FFP2 mask?
FFP2 masks may be worn by certain people, but they aren’t necessary for most people.
We should be leaving FFP2 masks and other surgical masks and respirators for healthcare workers amid the global shortage of PPE.
The World Health Organisation recommends medical-grade masks such as an FFP2 mask to health workers, people who have Covid-19 symptoms, and those who take care of someone suspected or confirmed with Covid-19.
The advice reads: “In areas where Covid-19 is widespread and physical distancing of at least one meter cannot be achieved, medical masks should be worn by people who are aged 60 years old or over and those who have underlying health conditions.”
Non-medical masks, also known as fabric masks, should be worn by people who have no Covid-19 symptoms where Covid-19 is widespread and where physical distancing of at least one meter can’t be achieved.
This may include people who are in close contact with others such as social workers and cashiers.
Everyone must wear a fabric mask or surgical mask when on public transport, at work, and in shops in the UK.
Everyday fabric masks have no filtering effect, but they can still help to prevent the spread of viruses such as coronavirus.
They are much cheaper than FFP2 masks and have been deemed good enough for most of the general public to wear on their limited trips out in the UK.