With the widespread and mandatory use of masks, the average citizen has been caught up in a cloud of nomenclature that can be certainly confusing and even overwhelming. This is perhaps most evident in the case of KN95 masks, which are, together with disposable masks, the most widely used by the street population in their daily lives to prevent the spread of the covid-19 pandemic.
The KN95 nomenclature refers to the masks that comply with the Chinese GB 2626-2006 regulation, which corresponds exactly to the categorisation that in Europe is called FFP2 and in the USA is called N95 (governed by the NIOSH 42CFR84 regulation).
The KN95 masks are composed of 4 layers of material fused together, they usually have a flexible and mouldable component on the upper part that helps to hold the nasal partition, to reinforce its support and make its use more comfortable. They usually have rubber bands on the sides that hook onto the back of the ears, though there are also models with a band around the head that is tied after adjustment.
Their use is recommended for a maximum period of 24 hours, but given the scarcity and continued use we are forced to make of it, the authorities are spreading information on how to sanitize them for reuse. In a forthcoming post on Bioalud we will give some guidelines on how to do this properly.