Surgical N95 Mask: Why You Need One And How To Get It

With the availability of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved N95 masks no longer limited, the CDCs guidance suggests individuals can opt to use a NIOSH-approved N95 mask instead of cloth face coverings. KN95 masks are designed to offer near-identical protection as an N95 respirator, which is regulated by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the CDC. KN95 and KN94 masks are similar, but are designed to comply with international standards, as opposed to the N95, which is approved by CDC as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

When manufactured according to Korean government standards and worn correctly, KF94 masks can filter as much as 94% of particles. KN95 and N95 masks are both designed to filter out at least 95 percent of particles up to 3 microns. N95 masks filter up to 95 percent of particles in air if approved by NIOSH and a suitable fit is achieved.

In routine healthcare settings, especially when the availability of N95 respirators is limited, surgical masks seem not to be inferior to N95 respirators in protecting healthcare workers from influenza. Comparative studies on respiratory protection equipment are scarce,13-15 and data comparing surgical masks to N95 respirators in health care workers are scarce. We hypothesized that a surgical mask, which is cheaper and more widely available than an N95 respirator, would provide similar protection as an N95 respirator among health care workers with a high exposure risk of influenza. N95 respirators and surgical masks are examples of PPE used to protect a wearer against particles or fluids contaminating their face.

Similar to an N95 respirator, KN95 masks are another type of respirator used as personal protective equipment (PPE). Barrier face shields are not a replacement for N95 respirators and other filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), which provide respiration protection for the wearer, nor are surgical masks, which provide liquid and particulate barrier protection to the wearer. In situations that specify fluid-resistant respirators (e.g., surgical settings), individuals should wear a surgical N95, or, if surgical N95s are unavailable, cover their respirator with a surgical mask or shield. At Johns Hopkins Medicine, healthcare teams wearing masks or N95 respirators cover their face shields for extra protection during treatment of patients.

We do not recommend face masks with a clear shield, which are distinct from visors, but still present gaps around the face, and thus are not as protective as wearing masks. On Jan. 14, the agency released more details on differences among masks, and confirmed that some – such as N95 respirators – are more protective than others, such as cloth and surgical masks. Supplies have stabilized since, but many Americans still use either cloth or flimsier surgical masks in place of N95 or KN95 respirators. The tight-fitting N95 masks, called such because they filter out at least 95% of particles in the air, are being shipped this week to pharmacies and community health centers, a White House official said, with availability to pick up by late next week.