Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. “As a result, it’s vital to ask where the mask is manufactured to be more certain about personal risk, as well as the experience of other hospitals and providers with the mask,” said Dr. In September 2020, ECRI reviewed KN95 masks and found that nearly 70 percent of those produced in China did not meet the NIOSH filtering requirements. “It has been approved in other countries, namely China. Ting Ting Wong, internist and infectious disease specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Brooklyn. “The KN95 has not been approved by NIOSH,” said Dr. organization responsible for regulating masks. However, the difference is that only the N95 has been approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the U.S. By wearing the mask properly, they both filter out 95 percent of aerosol particles that could potentially be carrying the novel coronavirus. Both masks are made from several synthetic material layers and are intended to be worn over the mouth and nose. The biggest benefit to the N95 or the KN95 masks is that they filter 95 percent of aerosol particulates.
Though there are many different options to choose from, according to an article in the medical journal Science Advances, the latest reports are that fitted, non-valved N95 masks are the best for the highest level of protection.īut what is the difference between an N95 and a KN95 mask? We reached out to several medical experts who shed light on the benefits and differences between various masks. Fauci said this week, double masks.īut between the KN95, the N95, surgical masks, and cloth masks, it can be overwhelming to decipher the best option and for whom. But even with the vaccine rollout, experts are still urging the importance of masks - and in some cases, as Dr. With the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines slowly underway, the number of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases is finally on the decline, which comes as welcome news after the record high spikes at the beginning of January. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic. We reached out to several medical experts who shed light on the benefits and differences between various masks.Īll data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication.Also, double masking may soon become commonplace.Between the KN95, the N95, surgical masks, and cloth masks, it can be overwhelming to decipher which is the best option.Share on Pinterest Experts are learning which masks are best a stopping coronavirus transmission.