People who want some protection from swine flu can buy masks to cover the nose and mouth. These act as a barrier to the transmission of particals that may cause infection, however you need to know what type of flu mask to buy.
Many of us have seen news footage and/pictures of mask wearing police and army officers in Mexico, or of people coming off planes with masks over their noses, the most popular masks seem to be the surgical type or the respirator type, which I will discuss further.
Surgical Masks
These types of masks stop people from spreading infections through sneezing or coughing but they are not going to stop much from getting through as they are loose fitting and offer little protection for prolonged use. Surgical masks are designed for single use, and are designed to prevent the wearer from spreading droplets. They do not prevent the wearer from breathing in particles. Surgical masks are usually made from cloth.
Respirator Masks
Respirator masks are tight fitting and usually fitted to the individual wearer. They also are designed for single use, however respirator masks (N95 masks) are designed to prevent the wearer from breathing in small particles. This means that N95 respirator masks are better at protecting you from breathing in the particles that may carry the swine flu virus.
CDC advises the following if you are wearing a mask(s)
If you are planning to buy flu masks, then please remember that you need to buy good quality, respirator types. If you are buying masks for yourself or your family, it is probably best to buy them in bulk to ensure you have a good supply. Use them when in contact with people on transport or in crowds.
