After initial bottlenecks, FFP2 masks have now become a loyal companion for many in the pandemic.

The news recently published by the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen was all the more gratifying: FFP2 masks offer 75 times more protection than conventional surgical masks, the risk of infection with FFP2 masks is only 0.1 percent, if An infected person and a healthy person spend twenty minutes in a room without observing the distance rules - provided the masks are worn correctly.

David Lindenfeld

Volunteer.

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But that's exactly where the problem often lies: Many people don't wear them properly and are therefore by no means better protected. “FFP2 masks filter better than surgical masks in physical test units. Life is different, ”says Andreas Podbielski, who was director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene until two months ago and is now retired. The result is not a surprise. After all, the FFP2 masks are made for just that. Something else is interesting: The study shows that the protection of an FFP2 mask that is not firmly attached to the face is about as high as that of a conventional surgical mask, says Frauke Mattner, who is the chief physician at the Institute for Hygiene Clinics of the City of Cologne works.

However, it is difficult to assess what effect the FFP2 masks actually have on the actual infection process. There are no scientific studies that investigate exactly this. Podbielski believes - if at all - in a small effect and justifies this with the way these masks work: They should fit closer to the face than surgical masks and thus ensure better protection. However, many find this annoying because the pressure of the mask causes pain or it makes breathing more difficult. Podbielski warns that in this case the mask could have the opposite effect: “If the discipline is waning and the mask is taken off too often or worn under the nose because it causes pain or difficulty breathing, this can counteract the measure. "

If the glasses fog up, the mask will not fit properly

He and Mattner therefore advocate dispensing with an FFP2 mask requirement, as applies in Bavaria in local public transport and retail. “The discussion about individual masks is going too far. It is important that everyone wears a mask. The more people participate, the more successful we are, ”explains Mattner. Podbielski also says that it is more productive if everyone can choose which mask to use: “But then it has to be worn in a disciplined manner. This is how you achieve the greatest protective effect. ”The Robert Koch Institute also states on its website:“ When used by laypeople (untrained staff, editor's note), self-protection is via the effect of a correctly worn mouthpiece. Nose protection is not necessarily given. ”Here, too, it is stated that there have been no scientific studies to date.

It is often forgotten that the surgical masks, which are much more comfortable to wear, also offer self-protection when they are firmly seated.

The difference is that part of the air that is inhaled flows past the edges, according to the website of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices: "Especially when inhaling, this so-called 'leakage flow' can suck in unfiltered air.

Medical face masks therefore generally offer the wearer less protection against aerosols containing pathogens than particle-filtering half masks (FFP2 masks, editor's note). "