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The U.S. government is giving out 400 million free 'N95' masks in a huge deployment to combat the spread of COVID-19. But why is the N95 type so important?
The CDC recently updated its guidance on masks, addressing previous concerns related to supply shortages for N95 masks. The latest advice, updated on January 14, clarified that people can choose to use N95 and KN95 masks, according to the CDC website.
What Is an N95 Mask?
N95 masks are defined as respirators, which are specialized filtering masks, according to the CDC.
A respirator provides the wearer protection by "filtering the air and fitting closely on the face to filter out particles," explains the federal health body.
Respirators can also contain droplets and particles that the wearer breathes, coughs, or sneezes out, to avoid spreading them to others.
The CDC says respirators may be considered for use in certain situations and by certain people when a higher level of protection is required or desired.
The federal health body notes that "surgical" N95 respirators—which are a special sub-type of N95 respirators that offer additional protection against potential hazards during medical procedures, such as blood splatter—should be reserved for use by healthcare workers.
Why Are N95 Masks so Important?
N95s are among the respirators approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that offer "the highest level of protection" amid the threat of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
The latest available evidence has shown that the Omicron is more contagious than previous variants, appearing to spread faster than the highly transmissible Delta variant.
When worn consistently and properly, N95 respirators provide "the highest level of protection from particles, including the virus that causes COVID-19" and can also "contain your respiratory droplets and particles" to avoid potentially exposing others to the virus, the CDC explains.
A study published in 2020 in the peer-reviewed journal Pathogen found that N95 and surgical masks were about 99 percent effective at filtering virus particles, compared with the 50 percent rate of cloth masks.
How to Choose N95 Masks
When choosing a respirator, it is vital to find one that fits your face and seals tightly to your face when fitted properly, the federal body says.
NIOSH-approved respirators are evaluated against a specific U.S. standard that includes a quality requirement. Ones that are approved by the NIOSH filter at least 95 percent of particles in the air when worn properly, according to the CDC.
N95 respirators are the most widely available but there are other types of respirators that offer the same or better protection as N95s, such as N99, N100, P95, P99, P100, R95, R99, and R100 respirators, the CDC says.
You can view lists of different respirators approved by the NIOSH at the NIOSH-Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators section of the CDC website.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more