Should I wear a face mask in public?
YES, you definitely should! And if you don’t have one you should at least use a scarf to cover your nose and month - because that too can help stop the spread of the virus.
A new paper, published on April 3, 2020 in leading scientific journal Nature and authored by an international team of researchers, found that:
“… face masks could prevent transmission of human coronaviruses and influenza viruses from symptomatic individuals. The use of face masks to keep the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in check has been extremely controversial among public health researchers. At first, particularly in the US, officials were slow to recommend them, advising the public to keep existing stocks of surgical masks and N95 respirators available for healthcare workers. Now, though, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is expected to soon advise all Americans to wear cloth masks in public”.
Read all about here: https://futurism.com/neoscope/new-research-masks-extremely-effective-stopping-virus-spread
Or watch this super-informative interview with one of the top experts on viral diseases in the world, Dr. Kim Woo-joo:https://youtu.be/gAk7aX5hksU
KN95, N95,FFP2, ... what’s the difference?
None to speak of!
Here’s what 3M has to say about it:
“… the following respirator classes, from various countries and regions, all have approximately 94-95% filtration efficiency, are designed to form a seal with the face, and may be considered to be functionally similar:
- USA - N95
- China - KN95 available HERE
- Europe - FFP2”
For more information: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1791526O/respiratory-protection-faq-general-public-tb.pdf
Are KN95 masks reusable?
Yes, they are. But only by the same person, of course.
If you only use your mask when you go out in public, for example to buy groceries, then, according to 3M: “There is no time limit to wearing an FFR (filtering face-piece respirator) . Respirators can be worn until they are dirty, damaged or difficult to breathe through.”
In between uses, you should avoid letting your mask come into contact with any surface, and store it in a clean paper or plastic bag. And never touch the inside of the mask with your fingers.
Can I wash, or otherwise clean, my KN95 mask?
No, you can’t.