Chippy_boy
Well-Known Member
Yes, and no.
FFP1 is I believe equivalent to N95, and that filters out 95% of particles larger than 0.3 mircons, whereas viruses like COVID-19 are perhaps half that size. But that doesn't mean it doesn't filter out any smaller particles. It depends upon the mask, but some are still good for up to 92%, others 50%.
Moreover, most of the virus you are likely to ingest will come either from (a) droplets of mucus from coughs and sneezes - which will be filtered even by FFP1 masks - and from touching your lips or nose with your infected fingers - which the mask will also prevent.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/04/do-surgical-masks-stop-sars.html
Net effect is if you go out and you use an FFP1 mask properly, you are about 50x less likely to get infected with Coronovirus, compared to using no mask at all. At £2 each, that doesn't sound like a terrible investment.
As to how long they last and reusability etc, yes in an ideal world you'd use only for a few hours and then throw away. However, even a used mask is better than none at all. This info came about with Ebola, when there were not enough masks to go around, and the advice was that if you only have a used mask, and not a fresh one, then use it. Be careful not to get contaminated from material on the outside of the mask, but using an old one is better than not using one at all.