Which type of mask protects against Omicron? | India News

A single sneeze can carry up to 200 million tiny virus particles, depending on how sick a person is. And never has a sneeze been as dreaded as during the pandemic. There is enough scientific evidence backing up the need for face masks to prevent transmission of the virus. But with the highly transmissible Omicron variant currently driving up active caseloads across the world — Omicron tally is up nearly 182% in India in the first 10 days of the new year — just deciding to mask up is no longer good enough. medium88806818Omicron spreads three times faster than the Delta variant and multiplies 70 times faster in the airways that lead to our lungs. “Practically everyone who gets Omicron is shedding virus into the air,” Donald Milton, a University of Maryland School of Public Health professor of environmental and occupational health, told Bloomberg recently.That’s why the face mask you choose is more important than ever before. Unfortunately, there are about as many types of masks out there as the strange ways people wear them. Here’s a look at how the different face mask categories available hold up against Omicron:Cloth masksFrom a handkerchief or gamcha or a piece of cloth wrapped around the face to designer masks that match outfits, cloth masks are the most ubiquitous masks going around. medium88806919Till the Delta variant came calling, multi-layered cloth masks were an acceptable level of protection. Experts, including the World Health Organisation, recommended fabric masks for those who were not Covid positive or in close contact with such patients. These masks are popular because they are reusable, cheap, and comfortable. But are they effective? “Multi-layer cloth masks can both block 50-70% of fine droplets and particles [during exhalation] and limit the forward spread of those that are not captured,” notes the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Untitled Carousel 88369021The trouble is that filtration efficiency when it comes to inhalation — measured as particle removal ability — varies wildly with such masks, ranging from less than 30% to nearly 90%, depending on the material used, the thread count and the number of layers.If you must use a cloth mask, make sure to double mask — wear a surgical mask along with a cloth mask. By some accounts, this is 95% more effective than a cloth mask alone. medium88813787 Surgical masksThese fluid-resistant disposable masks are meant to be used by medical personnel. Composed of three or four layers of synthetic non-woven materials, these masks are configured to have filtration layers sandwiched in the middle. The best surgical masks have a layer of polypropylene — a thermoplastic polymer fibre that can trap even small particles — and hence are more effective than most cloth masks.“If worn properly, a surgical mask is meant to help block large-particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatter that may contain germs, keeping it from reaching your mouth and nose,” notes the US Food and Drug Administration.However, due to their loose-fit design, they do not offer complete protection from germs and other contaminants. medium88815273N95 masks“Actually a type of respirator, an N95 mask offers more protection than a surgical mask does because it can filter out both large and small particles when the wearer inhales. As the name indicates, the mask is designed to block 95% of very small particles,” notes the Mayo Clinic, the world's largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice.Unlike cloth masks, N95 masks are made out of material with an electrostatic charge, which "actually pulls these particles in as they're floating around and prevents you from inhaling those particles”, Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University, recently told US news radio station NPR.Studies show that particles as small as 0.3 microns suspended in the air can be filtered out by N95 masks made from high-tech synthetic fibers. According to the ACGIH, inward and outward leakages with these masks are as low as 1-10%. medium88807161N95 masks are mandatory in a few European countries. Studies show that N95 respirators boast 15% higher filtration efficiency than surgical masks. On the flip side, they are more expensive; a box of five BIS certified N95 masks costs roughly as much as a pack of 100 surgical masks. medium88807185Moreover, all FDA-cleared N95 respirators are labelled as "single-use", disposable devices so they cannot be washed and reused. At best, they can be used a couple of times if used for a short period of time and aired properly between usage.Despite not being cost-effective, N95 masks are among the best bets in guarding against the Omicron variant. medium88815324Other FFP masksApart from N95 masks, there are several other high-filtration masks, also referred to as filtering facepiece (FFP) respirators, that have been certified by other countries, like China’s KN95 masks, South Korea’s KF94 masks, Europe’s FFP2 masks and the P2 masks in countries like Australia and Brazil.“Such high-performance masks provide significant protection to the wearer at levels that are between five and 10 times that of a cloth mask, while also providing significant protection to others,” says Aaron Collins, a mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science — who has come to be known as the Mask Nerd after his YouTube channel dedicated to reviewing the best masks to guard against Covid — told The Guardian.“The most amazing thing, though, is that while providing nearly 99% protection from typical Covid respiratory aerosols, these materials also provide breathability that surpasses that of a typical three-layer cloth mask,” he adds. medium88807551There are three categories of FFP masks, according to their efficiency. “FFP 1 masks are dust masks and mainly used for this purpose. They do not prevent Covid-19 infections. FFP2 masks are suitable for work environments where there are pathogens and mutagens in the air composition,” reads a research paper titled “Face masks: benefits and risks during the Covid-19 crisis”. And FFP3 masks offer the maximum protection currently as over 99% of droplets and particles are filtered.In a comprehensive study, a team from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation in Göttingen, confirms that FFP2 masks are particularly effective in filtering infectious particles from the air breathed — especially if they are as tightly sealed as possible at the face. If both the infected and the non-infected person wear well-fitting FFP2 masks, the maximum risk of infection after 20 minutes is hardly more than one per thousand, even at the shortest distance. If their masks fit poorly, the probability of infection increases to about 4% compared to 10% with well-fitting medical masks. medium88807684Masks with valvesA quick search for N95 of FFP2 masks on Amazon throws up some results with a valve on the mask, ostensibly to make breathing out easier and help reduce heat build-up. However, experts say that such masks compromise protection when it comes to the pandemic.Ultimately, no matter the mask you choose to wear, the three factors you can’t compromise on are breathability, filtration efficiency and the fit. Buying an N95 mask and wearing it upside down — more people do this than you’d believe possible to make breathing easier — would just negate its effectiveness.Sources: CDC, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, The Guardian, Bloomberg, NPR, CNN, Max Planck Society, The Wall Street Journal, The Journal of Hospital Infection, European Safety Federation, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces journal, American Institute of Physics, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists