Masks/Respirators
The first things many people think about relative to preparing for a pandemic are masks and respirators. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have issued guidance on the use of masks and respirators in an influenza pandemic.
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Facemasks are loose-fitting, disposable masks that cover the nose and mouth. These include products labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation, and laser masks.
Facemasks help stop droplets from being spread by the person wearing them. They also keep splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth and nose of the person wearing the facemask. They are not designed to protect you against breathing in very small particles. Facemasks should be used once and then thrown away in the trash.
For more information and pictures of facemasks, see Appendix B of Interim Guidance on Planning for the Use of Surgical Masks and Respirators in Health Care Settings during an Influenza Pandemic.
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A respirator (for example, an N95 or higher filtering facepiece respirator) is designed to protect you from breathing in very small particles, which might contain viruses. These types of respirators fit tightly to the face so that most air is inhaled through the filter material. To work most effectively, N95 respirators must be specially fitted for each person who wears one (this is called “fit-testing” and is usually done in a workplace where respirators are used). N95 respirators are most commonly used in construction and other jobs that involve dust and small particles. Some healthcare workers, such as nurses and doctors, use these types of respirators when taking care of patients with diseases that can be spread through the air.
If you have a heart or lung disease or other health condition, you may have trouble breathing through respirators and you should talk with your doctor before using a respirator.
Like surgical masks, N95 respirators should be worn only once and then thrown away in the trash.
For more information and pictures of respirators, see Appendix B of Interim Guidance on Planning for the Use of Surgical Masks and Respirators in Health Care Settings during an Influenza Pandemic.
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H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- CDC: Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission
This guidance replaces other CDC guidance on mask and/or respirator use that may be included in other CDC documents in regards to the outbreak of novel H1N1 virus. This document includes guidance on facemask and respirator use for a wider range of settings than was included in previous documents and includes recommendations for those who are at increased risk of severe illness from infection with the novel H1N1 virus compared with those who are at lower risk of severe illness from influenza infection.
While caring for a sick person at home, CDC recommends the following about facemasks or respirators:
- Avoid close contact (less than about 6 feet away) with the sick person as much as possible.
- If you must have close contact with the sick person (for example, hold a sick infant), spend the least amount of time possible in close contact and try to wear a facemask (for example, surgical mask) or N95 disposable respirator.
- An N95 respirator that fits snugly on your face can filter out small particles that can be inhaled around the edges of a facemask, but compared with a facemask it is harder to breathe through an N95 mask for long periods of time. More information on facemasks and respirators can be found at H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) website.
- Facemasks and respirators may be purchased at a pharmacy, building supply or hardware store.
- Wear an N95 respirator if you help a sick person with respiratory treatments using a nebulizer or inhaler, as directed by their doctor. Respiratory treatments should be performed in a separate room away from common areas of the house when at all possible.
- Used facemasks and N95 respirators should be taken off and placed immediately in the regular trash so they don’t touch anything else.
- Avoid re-using disposable facemasks and N95 respirators if possible. If a reusable fabric facemask is used, it should be laundered with normal laundry detergent and tumble-dried in a hot dryer.
- After you take off a facemask or N95 respirator, clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- More about caring for a sick person at home
H5N1 Flu (Avian Flu)
Households
Face Mask Use and Control of Respiratory Virus Transmission in Households (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Study concludes that household use of face masks is associated with low adherence and is ineffective for controlling seasonal respiratory disease. However, during a severe pandemic when use of face masks might be greater, pandemic transmission in households could be reduced.
Community Settings
Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic
Provides recommendations of when to use each device, in conjunction with other prevention actions, such as handwashing, covering coughs, avoiding crowded settings, and more.
Summary of Mask guidance
Workplace Settings
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic (PDF - 313 KB) (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Provides guidance and recommendations on infection control in the workplace, including information on proper mask and respirator use.
Personal Protective Equipment and Risk for Avian Influenza (H7N3)
Read a study on how the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by persons managing avian influenza outbreaks may reduce exposure to potentially hazardous infected poultry materials.
Health Care Settings
Interim Guidance on Planning for the Use of Surgical Masks and Respirators in Health Care Settings during an Influenza Pandemic
Provides background information on influenza transmission, pathogenesis, and control. Gives recommendations on kinds of mask and respirators, as well as their proper use.
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