Why you should upgrade your medical or cloth mask to an N95: experts

Throughout the pandemic, mask guidance has evolved alongside the COVID-19 virus.

In November, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) updated their COVID-19 mask use page, advising that cloth masks aren’t the best form of protection.

With Omicron as the prevalent COVID-19 variant across the country, experts say that even medical masks aren’t enough protection, urging people to upgrade to respirators like the N95, KN95, and KF94.

“We’ve known for a long time that COVID is airborne,” Dr. Shazma Mithani, an emergency doctor at the Royal Alexandria Hospital and Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, told Daily Hive. “Given that that is how the virus behaves, the most effective protection against that is N95 respirator masks. [They] will most effectively filter out those airborne particles compared to surgical masks and cloth masks.”

The World Health Organization and PHAC have both recognized that the COVID-19 virus spreads through small respiratory droplets and aerosols when a person breathes, coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Dr. Mithani adds that the messaging around masks has changed because Omicron is more contagious.

Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer even updated her Twitter profile picture from her wearing a medical mask to an N95 in early January.

If you’re like me there is so much to do in a day that you haven’t updated your profile pic in some time, but in real life you’ve upped your mask game and practice #COVIDWise 24/7 because #omicron

— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) January 10, 2022

Here’s how you can — and why you should — up your mask game, according to experts.

How much more effective are N95s than medical and cloth masks?

According to PHAC guidelines, medical masks and respirators should be well constructed, well fitting and worn properly.

N95 masks are made of material that offers better filtration and usually a better fit than medical masks, says PHAC guidelines.

“The standard is that it filters out 95% of particles below a certain size,” explained Dr. Mithani. “If it appropriately fits and it’s properly sealed to your face, then it filters out many, many more particles than surgical masks.”

She added that in general, medical masks tend to have more gaps and may not fit as well, which leads to air moving around the filtration material.

A helpful chart from the University of Minnesota’s Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy shows how effective different types of masks are in preventing transmission of COVID-19.

University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

According to the chart, if both the infected and the non-infected person are wearing fit-tested N95 masks, transmission can be prevented for up to 25 hours.

That sounds much more promising compared to both wearing cloth masks, which will only prevent transmission for up to 26 minutes.

N95, KN95, KF94 — what’s the difference?

There are different types of respirator masks you can choose from including the N95, KN95, and the KF94.

The different names indicate where they’re manufactured. The N95 is the standard respirator mask in North America. The “N” stands for NIOSH, which is the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

The KN95 is the Chinese standard and the KF94 is the Korean standard.

“They’re very similar in terms of filtration,” said Dr. Mishani. “The most important thing is to try out different styles of N95s, and so, if you have the ability to try different ones to see which one fits you the best, that’s going to be important.”

Jennifer Jackson, a registered nurse at the University of Calgary adds that it’s important to purchase these masks from a reputable source.

“There have been a lot of knockoffs that are sold that are of lesser quality,” Jackson told Daily Hive.

PHAC provides a list of the Health Canada approved respirators. Masks4Canada also has a useful document that shows a list of authorized respirators and where you can purchase them.

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What to wear if you can’t access N95 masks

While N95 masks are more expensive, Dr. Mithani points out that if you break it down per use, it actually ends up being cheaper than medical masks.

“For the most part, a respirator mask can have about 40 hours of wear per mask,” said Dr. Mithani. “If you’re working a five-day work week and you’re working eight hours a day, five masks should last you five weeks.”

She recognizes that these respirators are in high demand and recommends people sign up for email alerts on their availability.

In the mean time, Jackson suggests a helpful alternative while you’re on the hunt for respirator masks.

“If you’re wearing a surgical mask … it may be helpful to put a cloth mask over top of it because that can stop the gaping at the sides,” she said.

Dr. Mithani added that you can also double up medical masks for added protection.