What is a type 2 face mask?
Medical face masks that offer protection against infection as external protection must be three-layered and tested in accordance with the EN 14683 standard.Such face masks contain a special filter layer made of meltblown material, which is particularly fine. It allows aerosols contaminated with germs or viruses to get stuck in the mask when you exhale. The face masks therefore protect against the transmission of pathogens through droplets.
The bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) determines the type of medical face mask.
There are three different categories:
- Type IIR : highest degree of protection, offers an excellent filter performance of more than 98% (according to BFE). The “R” in the name indicates that the face mask offers additional splash protection, e.g. against contaminated liquids such as blood.
- Type II: has an excellent filter performance of more than 98% (according to BFE) and reliably protects against contaminated aerosols from the air.
- Type I: offers a good filter performance of over 95% (BFE), but is a more cost-effective option as it has a lower filter performance than Type II.