The truth behind the Covid masks and the real European certified standards

For a long time it has been heard that masks are only used for those who are sick to avoid spreading the infection in the surrounding environment. Then the communication changed: the masks Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Let’s go into detail and see which masks can serve to stop Coronavirus and how personal protective equipment is classified, depending on the type of protection they provide and the coverage rate.

Not all masks, of course, are useful in the same way against Coronavirus. The anti-smog masks, the filter masks produced in derogation and the surgical ones - in various capacities are not very useful: only those PPE FFP2 or 3 guarantee truly effective protection for themselves and for others (if without valve and used correctly), but also others can reduce the risk of infection. Below we try to better explain why. The anti-smog masks, the dust masks, the masks for welders and the FFP1, offer only a mild protection against the spread of the infection by sick people and do not provide any protection to the wearer from the infection.

Surgical masks, in particular, are medical devices (usually CE marked, certification certifying compliance with Directive 93/42 / EC, or in any case of the same level) designed to protect patients in specific situations, such as a surgical operation, but they do not protect the doctor or nurse who uses them, as they do not have a sealing edge on the face and do not include a filter system. They can still be useful to block the virus suspended in the air with sneezing and coughing, but they are not sufficient to guarantee total safety to those who want or must defend against the Coronavirus.

are needed and everyone must wear them when they can. Where is the truth? What are the best masks against Covid? What must be done to be truly protected? Do they all protect themselves and others in the same way?