FPP2 masks

[50but17inside]

These seem readily available on Amazon again, I seem to remember last March that they were taken off listings so that they could be preserved for medics etc?

If they really do limit inhalation of smaller viral particles better than ordinary surgical masks, wouldn’t it be a better idea for vulnerable members of public to wear them for situations like outpatient appointments etc. I see the Royal College of Nursing is calling for a raised standard of protective masks for nhs staff across the board - they obviously know what they’re talking about. The surgical masks are so basic.

I appreciate that hospital staff have much more potential than the public for increased exposure to viral load but have to say I’ve ordered one of these for a family member who is about to start outpatient diagnostics for likely bowel cancer - I’m thinking that if they put a standard clean surgical mask over the top of it they will be complying with hospital requirements. I’ve no idea what it would feel like to breathe with two masks on like this but desperate to protect them.

The threads on here about nosocomial infection are so concerning

Remember properly fit tested masks are for HCPs who can’t socially distance and may be undertaking AGPs. For someone going to Tesco and who is staying 2m away from others it’s probably not as important that it’s been properly fit tested. I’m sure it will still be better than a bit of cloth or even a surgical mask.

I got a few in March with the plan they could be rotated, wear one, put it in a bag for 72 hours before reusing. I definitely read stuff from scientists saying they thought this would be enough. Guess you could also wipe them over with some alcohol rub.

I'm in Italy and more and more people are wearing this type of mask now. (We have to wear them outdoors too). I find it quite hard to breathe in them though so only wear them if I'm on the bus (I wear a lighter-weight mask usually).

Even without fit testing I can get an ffp2 mask to fit better than a surgical masks. Surgical masks are near useless on people with narrow faces. Ffp2 will definitely offer better protection. It won’t be as good as a fit tested mark but surgical masks are always gaping at the sides.

@Covidcorvid

I got a few in March with the plan they could be rotated, wear one, put it in a bag for 72 hours before reusing. I definitely read stuff from scientists saying they thought this would be enough. Guess you could also wipe them over with some alcohol rub.

You can also buy mask disinfectant sprays but I just leave 3-4 days before wearing again. I wouldn’t seal in a bag though as you want them to dry out.

Just seen that Jeremy Hunt is calling for the same Em777. Yep, definitely going to order a few, you can just see this is going to be the next ‘thing’.

I don’t go anywhere near supermarkets these days but will wear one in the car when getting the click and collect order ... and this is a subject for another thread but click and collect is such an obvious transmission hotspot in my eyes. You only have to sit there in the queue in your car on a cold dark winter evening to see the click and collect staff’s breath billowing in clouds over the customers, straight in the driver’s opened car window when they ask for the name and then when they put the box of stuff down by the car boot as the customer stands there. I did actually call the (huge supermarket) store manager for a robust conversation about why on Earth the guys weren’t wearing masks. He said he totally agreed, he had requested they did but he couldn’t make them wear them, it was their choice. Well obviously click and collect is outside but if the new variants are as transmissible as we are being led to believe, then honestly I find it mind boggling it’s not mandatory.

Yes, i wear ffp3 masks and a visor all day for work and have done for years, the fit varies massively which is why i use only one brand as it fits perfectly. I also wear these to the supermarket for better protection.

@JS87. Thanks, will look out for the spray if I end up using them more. I wasn’t sealing them in a bag, just popping them in a bag to keep them out the way/from touching surfaces.

I am not a mask expert but I am a doctor working in a large hospital. Wear FFP3 for the most hazardous aspects of my job - provided by work.

I (and lots of my colleagues) have bought our own FFP2 masks for wearing in the corridors and when visiting wards etc. We all feel they are likely to offer better protection than surgical masks. We use fabric bands to adjust the ear loops to help with the fit.