As Aotearoa enters a super scary time, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have some tips for fortifying and re-using your washable face masks.
With Omicron sneaking through our community experts have been calling for everyone to wear N95 Respirators instead of Medical grade masks and cloth masks. N95 masks provide the best level of filtration and the best snug fitting that eliminates leakage. But N95 masks are much more expensive and in short supply. Our government is recommending a "face covering will need to be an actual mask and attached to the head by loops around the ears or head".
Medical grade masks, which are now well stocked in Aotearoa, have good filtration but often lack a proper fit. Many cloth reusable masks provide a good fit to reduce leakage but may not offer the best level of filtration. The best of these will be well-fitting reusable masks with a filter pocket (PM2.5 filters and Helix.iso filters are readily available in New Zealand).
Here's our take on a couple of hacks to make the best and safest use for your current mask wearing:
1. Create an opening for your current well-fitting reusable mask to insert specialised filter
2. Simple hack to create a better fitting Medical grade mask:
Stay safe Kiwi's