Safest and most protective mask for the wearer

[Bubbublish]

I want to protect myself as much as possible and I'm getting so confused with the huge choice of masks.

Should I get single layer washable, tripple layer washable, what material, ffp2 or 3 disposable and is a visor necessary as well? Or anything else.

Do you have any suggestions and perhaps actual makes and names and places to buy so I can avoid buying any fakes

Thanks

If you are still at hospital in covid ward, medical professional there must be the best people to ask, surely? They are the ones dealing with covid patients every day, their health depend on it.

Why would the hospital staff be experts? Some may be but not necessarily the ones a patient would see everyday.

FFP2/N95 with as close a fit as you can get should be enough for just going out and about. Different if you are treating Covid +ve patients or doing AGPs on them, then you would need proper fit testing. I think the CDC we’re recommending that you could don/doff up to 5 times with the same cloth mask. You could probably do the same with a disposible FFP2

That being said, your probably about as protected as you are ever going to be now.

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Thanks for the helpful advice.

So, I ordered some FFP2 masks.

Someone did mention about reusing them.

Where would be the best place to hang them up and for how long before reusing them (to let them air) and how many times would it be safe to reuse them?

@Bubbublish: I reuse/rotate my FFP3 masks (3/4 on the go at once). I have some hooks and put the 'dirty' on 1 side, then take a clean one from other end (& move the others along)

Virus thought to degrade on fabric within 24 hours, so 3 days would be more than ok. Number of reuses - I wear them for short times (shopping mainly) so reuse until they look dirty to me - prob 5-10 times

What is important is to remember that if they have virus on, it would be on the outside, so not to infect yourself handling them (ie wash hands after removing & handling the masks)