How much does it cost ? Can we wash it? Franceinfo answers the concrete questions you may be asking yourself about these highly filtering masks, which are popular against the Omicron variant.
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In the closet, the surgical mask? The High Council for Public Health will soon issue an opinion on the generalization of the FFP2 mask. These masks, some of which have the shape of a duckbill, more filtering, could be an asset against the Omicron variant of Covid-19, much more contagious than its predecessors. VSome countries have also decided to impose it in public places, such as italy, Austria or Greece. Franceinfo takes stock of this protection increasingly used by the general public.
1Is it more effective than the surgical or cloth mask?
Yes. It is more fitted on the face than other types of masks, and therefore does not yawn on the sides. It is also more filtering: it protects against the inhalation of droplets, like other masks, but also against that of particles suspended in the air. Composed of a facepiece and a filtration device, it offers its users a filtering capacity of 94% of fine and toxic particles of 0.6 micrometers.
According to a study (in English) researchers from the universities of Göttingen (Germany) and Cornell (United States), if two people wear a correctly positioned FFP2 mask, the maximum risk of contamination between them is only 0.4%, even if they spend an hour together , compared to 30% for two people wearing surgical masks. The result is similar face authorized fabric masks, since the latter have a “close protection level”, or slightly “higher depending on the model, than that offered by surgical masks”, according to the standards body Afnor.
The National Research and Safety Institute (INRS) specifies that the FFP2 mask can be worn for eight hours, which is the average duration of a working day, against four hours for the other models.
FFP2 masks that contain graphene, a material widely used in electronics for its resistance and conductivity, however, should be avoided as a precaution, due to the lack of data on the toxicity of this synthetic material, recommends the health security agency Anses.
2In which places is it advisable to wear an FFP2 mask?
In hospitals, the FFP2 mask is already in use, especially in departments welcoming Covid-19 patients, in intensive care or in the surgical unit. In anticipation of the end of year celebrations, the scientific Council (PDF file) had also recommended it for “the most fragile or unvaccinated people, as soon as possible”.
For the rest of the population, FFP2 masks are useful “when there is really a strong risk of contagion, for example in poorly or not ventilated transport or in closed places”, according to Philippe Amouyel, epidemiologist and professor of public health at Lille University Hospital. On the other hand, no use “when we walk in the street”, he believes.
“If everyone wore a surgical or consumer cloth mask correctly, this would already significantly reduce the risk of contagion.”, also considers Didier Lepelletier, head of the hospital hygiene service of the Nantes University Hospital and expert of the High Council of Public Health.
3How much does it cost ?
Its efficiency comes at a price. Individually, an FFP2 mask is generally between two and six times more expensive than a surgical mask. It often takes around 50 to 60 cents per FFP2 mask for an individual and between 30 and 40 cents for wholesale orders from healthcare professionals. But its price varies greatly depending on the type of sign.
The FFP2 are thus sold 4.52 euros per box of 20 at Intermarché, or 23 cents per mask, announced at the beginning of January the sign, which specifies that it is the “cost price”.
We are continuing to do everything possible to help limit the circulation of the virus, by making as many self-tests and masks as possible available every day. pic.twitter.com/JKIZPAdkev
– Intermarche (@intermarche) January 7, 2022
A price barely lower than that charged in “Carrefour hypermarkets and supermarkets”, or “the box of twenty ” masks will cost you “4.90 euros”, or only 24 cents per mask “, note Capital, in a comparison. In “all Leclerc de France, boxes of 20 FFP2 are offered to you at 7.90 euros, or 40 cents per mask”, also details the newspaper, against “14,90 euros” at Franprix for “a similar box”.
In pharmacy too, the differences are important. Count “between 40 centimes and 80 centimes per mask” on average in pharmacies, according to the estimate for Capital by Philippe Besset, President of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France. Price variations which can be explained by “margin” what does the brand or the pharmacy want to do, but also by “the quantity of products purchased from suppliers and at what price”, according to Yolande Piris, specialist in distribution, interviewed by the magazine. The more it buys wholesale, the lower the cost price and therefore the price displayed on the label.
Note that unlike its cousin the surgical mask, the law does not provide that the FFP2 mask can be distributed free of charge to precarious, vulnerable, Covid-19 positive or contact cases.
4Will there be enough for everyone?
“There is no shortage” in the supply of FFP2 masks, assured Gabriel Attal, the government spokesman, at the beginning of January on France Inter. “The supply circuits are functioning”, he added. One “state stock of masks has been replenished”, with “several hundred million FFP2 masks”, did he declare. The Directorate General of Health affirmed in January 2021 to LCI that Public Health France had in its possession – in addition to the stocks managed by the establishments – 406 million FFP2 masks, “ie 203% of the target stock corresponding to three weeks of epidemic crisis”.
An amount which could nevertheless prove to be insufficient if these masks were to be imposed on a lasting basis by the government. The production of FFP2 masks was almost stopped between April and October, “with a drop in production of around 90%” compared to 2020, underlines Christian Curel, the president of the union of the manufacturers of masks F2M on BFMTV. The number of jobs in the sector, estimated at 10,000, has even been “divided by two”, especially in the face of Chinese competition. Local manufacturers – now numbering 32, against 4 at the start of the health crisis – now ensure that they are able to produce 20 to 25 million per week, according to France 2.
5How to wear it well?
The FFP2 mask should cover the nose, mouth and chin. To check that the mask is correctly put on, the National Research and Security Institute (INRS), advises to check the tightness by covering “the filtering surface of the mask using a plastic sheet held in place with both hands”. When you inhale, “the mask should crash lightly on the face”. “If the mask does not apply, it is because it is not waterproof and it must be readjusted (…) Once adjusted, do not touch the mask with your hands and do not place it in the waiting position under the chin or on the forehead, to avoid contaminating the inside of the mask “, also recalls the INRS.
It is more unpleasant to wear than that of a fabric or surgical mask because of a “thermal discomfort”, and a “respiratory resistance”, warns ANSES. Furthermore, FFP2 masks are not suitable for all body types. A study carried out on caregivers from several countries, and published in September 2020 in the medical journal Anaesthesia, revealed that the FFP2 and FFP3 masks could be correctly applied by 95% of men, but only 85% of women. In addition, masks were suitable for 90% of white people, compared to 84% of people of Asian descent. The proportion was particularly low, 60% on average, for Asian women.
6Can we wash it?
According to the manufacturers, these are single-use masks. Nevertheless, and like surgical masks, FFP2 masks can be reused if they are machine-washed and tumble-dried, ensures UFC-What to Choose. According to tests conducted by the consumers’ association, the performance of FFP2 masks remains the same after ten washes at 60 ° C and as many dryings.
“Our conclusions are not valid for use in a medical environment, where the surrounding bacterial load would require, at the very least, a disinfection phase”, nevertheless tempers the association.
7It seems that it is not compatible with the beard. It’s true ?
No mask is suitable for a supplied beard. This is even more true with FFP2 masks, which are normally more fitted to the face than other masks. To maximize its effectiveness, it is therefore advisable to shave, or wear a thin beard.
Last spring, the firefighters of Indre-et-Loire were ordered to shave beards and mustaches to optimize the adhesion of FFP2 masks on their face, related France 3.
8I thought I bought an FFP2 mask but in fact it is a KN95. Is it the same thing?
Yes, they are similar masks, with equivalent protection. The difference lies in the origin of the standards to which they meet: the FFP2 mask corresponds to the European standard NF EN149, while the KN95 meets the GB2626-2006 standard, in force in China and South Korea, recalls a French customs document (PDF).