The risk of infection is highest here and medical personnel want the very best quality protecting instrumentation so they'll totally defend themselves from the virus.
The simplest example of a mask could be a surgical mask, typically made from 3 layers of fabric or paper.
It stops sneezing or coughing drops but does not protect against virus particles that are only about 100 nanometers (one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter).
Dr. Nicky McClough, Head of Safety at 3M, one of the world's largest manufacturers of respiratory equipment, explains: It can prevent your expelled particles from spreading, but this mask cannot prevent you from getting very small particles.
Respirators, on the other hand, stay firmly on the face so that no air leaks out and leaks in. The way they are worn is also relatively difficult.
"When you inhale, air passes through a filter, and the filter is tested to a certain standard of performance," says Dr. McClough. So you can trust that if your face is tightly sealed, the respirator is reducing the number of particles you are inhaling.
There are different types of respirators. Their simplest type is similar to a normal mask but is called a filtering fee piece (FFP). Some are for disposal after use, while others can be sterilized and reused.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a US agency responsible for occupational safety and health, has classified FFP respirators based on how many particles they block to reach your respiratory system. Are Thus, N95 and N99 masks block 95 and 99% of particles, respectively, while N100 devices block 99.97% of particles.
Respirators are classified differently in Europe. Respirators designated FFP1 here filter out at least 80% of the particles, FFP2 at least 94%, and 99.97% of particles like FFP3N100.
And then there's the powered air-purifying respirator or PAPR that looks like a helmet. They are just as effective as N100 or FFP3.
"It's a comprehensive solution," says Brian Howie, chief marketing officer at Honeywell Safety, a major respirator maker. It has a face shield and a groove that is attached to a tool in the belt. This device has a motor that pumps air through a filter. It's part of a white suit, so it's very comprehensive.
Engineers at the University of Southampton have developed a PAPR that they are providing to the University Hospital Southampton. So far, 1000 such suits are in use by the staff.
It is currently undergoing official approval, so it is not used in first aid or intensive care units in hospitals where FFP3 respirators are required.
The test phase involves a sniff test to see if the person wearing it can smell anything outside. Then another test is done to see if the really fine particles are being filtered.
Alex Dickinson, an associate professor in the university's bioengineering science research group, explains: 'We put a petri dish inside and outside the shield and pass a thousand liters of air through the filter. We place them at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and then see how many colony-forming bacteria have migrated from the filter and shield. In our first experiment, we did not see the growth of bacteria inside the shield, but in that time ten colonies had formed on the plate outside.
The British Standards Institute is currently testing the device against European standards, with the team hoping it will be more widely used in Southampton and elsewhere.
Paul Elkington, a hospital consultant and professor of respiratory medicine, says: 'You look better and you can talk better. Your performance improves and you can move from one patient to another without taking off your protective suit again and again.
Recently, the demand for respirators was mainly in industries such as construction and manufacturing.
"Even six months ago, there was little demand for full-face respirators, such as FFP2 or FFP3," says Dr. McClough. At the time, it was only used by people close to tuberculosis or measles patients, but now we see that the medical sector around the world is increasingly using respirators. As a result, manufacturers are constantly working to meet demand.
Dr. McClough says 3M is also increasing its productivity, working in more shifts, and improving work.
So will global demand be met?
"Unfortunately, this may not be possible in the near future," says Brian Howie. The increase in demand that we have seen has been phenomenal, and since people are now beginning to see it as a commodity, demand is far greater than its global production and supply.
But he says he is having good talks with his governments on future preparations and is making sure there is no shortage of supply of strategic reserves.
"God willing, if such a situation arises again, collectively we will be able to respond more quickly and effectively."
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