Disposable masks, for flu etc.

[Miljea]

What specifications do you look for if you were buying single use, disposable face masks? To protect against airborne viruses?

I know hospitals in the UK have the general ones, like you'd wear going into 'ordinary' surgery; and those that you need to be trained to fit, properly, if you're dealing with flu, SARS, etc.

It's the last ones I'm talking about.

What do you look for to distinguish the two, on the packaging?

TIA.

They protect other people from the germs you carry, rather than protect you from other people.

No, they stop you getting flu off someone with active flu. Which is why the NHS make staff undergo fitting training. Along with a paper bag over the head and a smell introduced to check you have a good seal.

Do you work for the NHS?

That is correct, they protect the wearer, I work for the NHS and we have mask fit tests as described and are then told which masks are best for us.
The general ones we use for confirmed flu are ffp3 masks which make you look abit like a duck

Different masks work best for different face shapes and weight loss or gain can alter the fit as well.

I believe they also have a limited time frame they are effective for.

A paper bag over the head?!

It's a hood, not a paper bag. Face fit testing - there's bound to be a video on YouTube if anyone is bored :)

When I was having chemotherapy and was in contact with flu I was told that masks only work for a few minutes. I happened to have a big boxful of surgical masks that I used as dust masks

So is a person supposed to buy & try loads, how would they tell what is a better fit on some than others?

Respiratory tract viruses are mainly spread by touching surfaces onto which droplets from coughs & sneezes have landed. You will protect yourself much more effectively by washing your hands than by a mask.

N95 respirators are what they're wearing as health professionals to protect against coronavirus according to google

Even the fitted ones only work for a few minutes.

You are better off washing your hands.

Or not getting carried away with panic.

Lots of handwashing is more effective. Travel advice is to wear an N95 level mask.

I've a friend who is having issues about 18 months after chemotherapy. She tried going about as normal and was very ill all the time. So she was wondering about masks etc but we're under the impression that colds and flu can be transferred via eyes, if someone sneezes next to you on the Tube etc. Is this correct?

at the moment, she just wraps her scarf over her nose and mouth.

As I understand it the only way the very cheap surgical masks help is if you're prone to touching your mouth and nose while out and about. They won't stop you inhaling virus droplets, but might help you avoid spreading something that's not in the air but on a door handle to your mouth.

FFP3 masks are better for stopping things being inhaled if properly fitted, but if in the meantime your eyes aren't protected, there may not be as much point. And they're very expensive.

This is from memory from bird flu and swine flu scares, so don't take it as gospel.

Aren't you supposed to wear a full visor as well? Personally, I'm just going to wear my gas mask...