Since the first deaths in Europe at the latest, the topic has been on everyone’s lips: The coronavirus, or nCov- 19, has been spreading worldwide since the beginning of the year.
Due to the sharp increase in the number of infected people, more and more people are reaching for respiratory masks. In many pharmacies, but also in online giants like Amazon, many respirators are already sold out.
But do respirators really help against coronavirus infection? What other protective measures can I already take?
In the following we will answer these questions and many more that are on your mind.
Anticipating – Respirators can prevent infection, but the chance of getting infected despite wearing a respirator is never zero.
Buying Guide: Buying the right respirator against coronavirus
What do I have to consider when buying a respirator?
Commercially available face masks, which you can buy from the pharmacy, do not help much in preventing infection of the coronavirus.
These mouthguards only prevent the virus from spreading to people who are already infected.
Respiratory protection masks of the class FFP 1- 3 have a maximum permeability of the breathing air of 5- 20% and filter particles in the air with a minimum size of 0.6 micrometers to a probability of 80- 99.5%, depending on the class.
Some FFP 3 breathing masks even protect against nanoparticles with a size of 0.001 micrometers.
N95 respirators filter up to 95% of airborne particles larger than 0.3 microns.
Consequently, the maximum air permeability of the mask, but also the filtering, plays an important role.
If the respirator allows too much air to pass through, viruses can also enter your mucous membranes via the air through the mask. Therefore your respirator should be as impermeable as possible.
What features should my respirator have?
Because corona viruses are very small and not every respirator can filter them, you should look for features such as the permeability of the respirator or the filtering of particles in the air when buying a respirator.
The lower the air permeability of the mask and the higher the filtering of airborne particles by the respirator, the better.
If your mask has these features, you are well on your way to protecting yourself against possible bacteria and viruses in the air.
However, you should also be careful to clean your hands thoroughly so that your hands, if contaminated, do not touch your mask or even your face.
What material should a respirator be made of?
The material of the respirator is not important. When buying a respirator, you should pay much more attention to filtering particles in the air, but also to the total leakage.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the respirator against the coronavirus answered
Which breathing masks are best suited against the coronavirus?
Commercially available face masks, such as those available in pharmacies, are of little help in preventing coronavirus infection. These mouthguards do not filter the viruses from the air and have a high permeability, so that the viruses could enter the mucous membranes.
The situation is different with FFP breathing masks. Depending on the class, FFP respirators filter up to 99.5% of particles in the air with a size of 0.6 micrometers and larger. The permeability of the respirators is 5-22%, depending on the class.
Thus FFP 2 and FFP 3 respirators help against coronavirus infection, but the probability of getting infected despite wearing a respirator is never zero.
N95 respirators filter up to 95% of airborne particles larger than 0.3 microns. They therefore filter even smaller particles in the air than FFP respirators.
Therefore, N95 respirators are also very well suited to protect against coronavirus infection, but here too the probability of becoming infected despite wearing an N95 respirator is never zero.
What is the difference between FFP respirators, N95 respirators and commercially available respirators?
What is the benefit of a respirator against coronavirus?
At best, a respirator prevents transmission of the coronavirus through the mucous membranes. It protects your face and minimizes air permeability. Furthermore, it prevents your face from being touched by contaminated fingers.
Thus the virus does not enter your mucous membranes by hand and the respirator mask prevents the absorption of further viruses and bacteria.
How do I wear a respirator correctly?
The permeability of the respirator should be as low as possible, so your respirator should be as close to your face as possible. Ideally, your respirator should also cover your nose and can be tightened using the nose clip.
How is the coronavirus spread?
According to the WHO, the coronavirus is spread by droplet infection. It is sufficient to talk to an infected person for ten minutes in a closed room, as saliva from the virus could get into your mucous membranes.
How else can I protect myself against the coronavirus?
How do I recognize symptoms of the coronavirus?
If you should show any of the following symptoms, we advise you to consult a doctor as soon as possible. These include symptoms like:
- Fever
- Headache
- Respiratory problems
- Sore throat
- Pneumonia
Even if you think it is very unlikely that you have been infected with the virus, you should be careful. The last thing you want is to infect your family and friends with the virus.
Should I wear goggles?
Besides wearing a respirator, wearing goggles can also prevent you from getting infected with the coronavirus.
If an infected person accidentally coughs on you, the virus may be absorbed into the mucous membranes of your eyes and infect you.
Does a protective suit help against the coronavirus?
In addition to wearing a breathing mask and protective goggles, a full body suit can also help to protect you from infection.
You should note that you should take off your protective suit and disinfect it completely every time you are at home or in a closed room.
If you want to be on the safe side, throw the suit away after wearing it.
Should I be afraid of packages from China?
The coronavirus survives in an area without a host for almost three hours.
Since goods and packages from China almost always take more than three hours to reach Europe, you don’t have to worry about getting infected by means of a package or goods from China.
Are other transmission routes possible?
At the moment there are no other ways of transmission recorded.
At least, there is no case worldwide that the coronavirus has been spread by any other means apart from droplet infection.