What is a respirator, how it is better than a mask in protecting against Covid-19?

NEW DELHI: Amid an alarming spike in the new cases of coronavirus infection, respirators have been mandatory in public places in several countries including Austria. . Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, masks have been promoted as a shield to protect against the deadly Covid-19 virus and its variants. But several countries are now rethinking their Covid-19 mask advice for the community.

Austria was one among those Covid-19 affected countries that made it mandatory to wear a respirator in public places since the start of the pandemic. Austria is also one of the first European countries to make FFP2 masks mandatory.

Now the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recognized respirators as safer than masks and has suggested that it is time to upgrade masks for protection from Covid-19.

Respirators vs Masks

Studies on health workers and laboratory workers have found strong evidence that respirators are more effective than source control and personal protective masks. If the infected and the person coming in contact is wearing a fully fitted respirator mask, then one can be protected from infection for 25 hours. 

At the same time, if the infected and exposed person is wearing a cloth mask, then there will be a risk of getting infected within 26 minutes. According to health experts, respirators are often wrongly confused as “masks" because of their appearance. They are personal protective equipment made to a particular standard and designed to prevent inhalation of hazardous airborne contaminants.

In the US, respirator standards are managed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and cover three things - filter efficiency, breathing resistance and fit. A filter that meets the N95 standard (equivalent to Europe’s FFP2) must capture at least 95 per cent of particles in the most penetrating size range at a high flow rate. 

What’s filtering facepiece respirator FFR?

A respirator that consists entirely of filtering material – rather than having layers, say for waterproofing – is called a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR). An FFR can be worn multiple times but must eventually be thrown away.

Research suggests FFRs lose their ability to fit well after 20 wears – due to stretching of straps or failure of the nose clip or edge components. The filter material is usually a non-woven polypropylene electret, which means the fibres carry an electrical charge to enhance particle collection while ensuring low breathing resistance.

Surgical Masks Vs Surgical N95 Respirators

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, N95 respirators and surgical masks are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer from particles or from liquid contaminating the face.  

The FDA regulates surgical masks and surgical N95 respirators differently based on their intended use. A surgical mask is a loose-fitting, disposable device that creates a physical barrier between the mouth and nose of the wearer and potential contaminants in the immediate environment. These are often referred to as face masks, although not all face masks are regulated as surgical masks. Note that the edges of the mask are not designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth.

An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. Note that the edges of the respirator are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth. Surgical N95 Respirators are commonly used in healthcare settings and are a subset of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFRs), often referred to as N95s.

Precautions for using N95 Respirators

-People with chronic respiratory, cardiac, or other medical conditions that make breathing difficult should check with their health care provider before using an N95 respirator because the N95 respirator can make it more difficult for the wearer to breathe.

-All FDA-cleared N95 respirators are labeled as "single-use," disposable devices. If your respirator is damaged or soiled, or if breathing becomes difficult, you should remove the respirator, discard it properly, and replace it with a new one. 

-To safely discard your N95 respirator, place it in a plastic bag and put it in the trash. Wash your hands after handling the used respirator.

-N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. Because a proper fit cannot be achieved on children and people with facial hair, the N95 respirator may not provide full protection.

According to the FDA, the respirator is intended to prevent specific diseases or infections. The respirator is labelled or otherwise represented as filtering surgical smoke or plumes, filtering specific amounts of viruses or bacteria, reducing the amount of and/or killing viruses, bacteria, or fungi, or affecting allergenicity

The respirator contains coating technologies unrelated to filtration (e.g., to reduce and or kill microorganisms).