Surgical masks may be more useful than FFP2 masks, health expert says

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Masks are the first barrier of protection against coronavirus, so in many day-to-day situations, they are mandatory. Since the pandemic began they have been a key tool to stop the spread of infection.

But not all types of masks are the same; there are some that are more effective than others, or that are better to use in certain circumstances, such as enclosed spaces.

This is the case with FFP2 masks, which have been declared mandatory in supermarkets and public transport in Austria and Germany. In Spain, this decision has not yet been taken, although the Health Service has promised to study it.

This type of measure is proposed because FFP2 masks are somewhat more effective than surgical masks, and are more effective in preventing contagion by aerosols, which is the main method of transmission of the coronavirus.

In this way, the user is also protected, something that does not happen with surgical masks, which work by preventing a person who already has the virus from transmitting it to others.

Can a mask be FFP2 and KN95 approved at the same time?

Despite these advantages, not all experts are in favor of the mandatory or generalized use of FFP2 masks. This is the case of the director of the Center for Coordination of Alerts and Health Emergencies, Fernando Simón, who, in one of the press conferences analyzing the state of the pandemic, explained the reasons why he prefers surgical masks.

“The FFP2 protects the wearer; if what we want is to protect others, the surgical mask has a greater filtering capacity,” argued the director of the CCAES.

Simón assured that if the entire population were to use surgical masks, a synergic effect would be created that reduces the risk for all citizens. In other words, if people who can transmit the virus use a mask that prevents others from catching it, this would be reduced and would benefit everyone.

“The hygienic masks that are authorized in Spain have a sufficient filtering capacity to guarantee a very very high protection, as long as, as it is mandatory, it is worn in the places where it must be worn”, has argued Fernando Simón.

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