KN95 mask: can it be reused

The Omicron strain is spreading at a frantic pace, with citizen anxiety growing, and the KN95 mask seems like the perfect choice among others. But how much better is it than fabric, and can it be reused?

Experts strongly recommend the KN95 mask as research has shown that it has a clear advantage over surgical and tissue protective masks. Another solution is to use a double mask.

According to USA Today, cloth masks have large pores that allow droplets containing the coronavirus to be inhaled, but they do not fit tightly to the face, leaving gaps.

This is why several countries, including Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, have made the use of the KN95 mask mandatory.

KN95 “masks” are designed to achieve a good fit to the face and adequate filtration of suspended particles. They also have a denser fiber network than surgical or textile fibers. On the other hand, N95 masks are made from polypropylene. “It is a material that goes through the densification process and ultimately becomes a fibrous mass that has excellent air filtration properties,” USA Today reports, among others.

These fibers are also “charged by passing through a static-generating device. Which makes them 10 times more effective at catching particles. “

KN95 masks leave no gaps under the nose, cheeks and jaw, and when used correctly, they filter up to 95% of airborne particles while filtering our own breaths to protect others.

KN95 can be used more than once.

The big disadvantage of KN95 masks is the cost as it is much higher than surgical and cloth masks. And the question of whether it can be reused comes to the fore. An article published on the USA Today website claims that “although the N95 and KN95 masks are disposable, many people have found ways to reuse them.”

And there is a link to the CDC at the beginning of the pandemic, when there was a shortage of KN95 masks in US hospitals.

Reusing the mask

To use the KN95 mask safely, it should be placed in a paper bag after use so that it “breathes”, and never in a plastic one. Close the bag and leave at room temperature for 3-4 days. This time is considered sufficient for all viruses that were on it to die. On the 4th or 5th day, the mask can be used again.

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