For two years they have been part of our life and, with the impact of the Omicron variant, masks are once again important to protect us from the virus. The government also thinks that, with the Festivita decree, it has made the use of FFP2 devices mandatory on all public transport, as well as to enter cinemas, theaters and stadiums . It is also necessary to wear them on long-distance means of transport, such as trains or airplanes.
With the new restrictions, consumers are racing to stock up on FFP2 at the best price. While we are discussing to control the costs of these protective devices too, which are much higher than that of surgical masks, the battle over sales prices, especially on the web, is getting tough and the issue of the spread of counterfeit products is once again emerging.
Our attention must therefore remain high on the safety of the masks we wear, especially if they come from abroad. To better understand how to recognize a compliant device, from an irregular one, we entered the chemical laboratories of the Customs and Monopoly Agency, among the most advanced in this field, where conformity tests are performed on hundreds of thousands of devices arriving in our country, and we spoke with Alessandro Proposito , manager of the laboratories. What type of tests are carried out by the laboratory of the Customs and Monopolies Agency on the protection devices to establish whether they are compliant or not
The tests that are carried out mainly concern the evaluation of the efficiency of the filter , i.e. how much the dpi (protection device) and able to filter particles, and respiratory resistance , that is to say how much the use of the dpi makes it difficult for the wearer to breathe. In fact, there is a European standard, EN 149,establishing the tests to be carried out to determine the conformity of respiratory protective devices and the relative limits that these PPE must comply with. What requirements an FFP2 mask must have to be placed on the market
The requirements that an FFP2 mask must have to be placed on the market are precisely those established by this European standard. What is the percentage of counterfeit products that arrive in your laboratory and that do not pass the tests
The non-compliant FFP2 masks compared to the total of the samples analyzed represent about 12%. Once placed on the market which are the logos and abbreviations that indicate to the buyer the conformity of a device
The masks placed on the market must bear thereference to EN 149 and the CE mark followed by the number of the certification body . This is essential and mandatory to indicate to the buyer the conformity of the device.
Having acknowledged that the product must comply with the European legislation in force and that, before obtaining the CE mark, it must pass the scrutiny of a notified body specialized in the certification of respiratory protection devices, and it is worth underlining, once again, how many masks are on the market, how much they protect us from the virus and to what risks we expose ourselves by not wearing an adequate one. We have sought the answers from epidemiologists who continue to study and grind data on the spread of the virus every day. First of all the professorPier Luigi Lopalco , epidemiologist, professor of Hygiene at the University of Salento. Professor how effective is the protection of an FFP2 mask compared to a surgical one
What risks does wearing a non-compliant device expose us
to? Let’s start with a first division between the various products: high protection masks, FFP3 and FFP2 which fall within the dpi ( personal protection), surgical masks that fall under the DM (medical devices) and masks not certified for health use.
Between a surgical mask and an FFP2, the concept of protection changes. The first, not adhering perfectly to the face, little protects the wearer, but above all protects those around. If there is a virus suspended in the air we breathe this can reach us. Conversely, the FFP2, adhering well to the face, prevents the wearer from coming into contact with unfiltered external air. Obviously we must be sure that it is a compliant device, therefore, when buying it, it must be carefully checked that the CE logo on the product is authentic and not counterfeit. How often the FFP2 should be changed to maintain filtering power.
They can be used several times if kept clean. The filtering power is greatly reduced after a time of about 8 hours, the duration of a work shift.
“To be sure you are buying a non-counterfeit product, it is better to always contact pharmacies”, adds Massimo Ciccozzi , director of the Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology Unit of the Bio-medico Campus in Rome.. Convinced supporter that wearing an FFP2 not only indoors, but also outdoors, in case of crowds and gatherings, can almost eliminate the spread of Omicron. “With the FFP2 mask” the risk of getting infected drops to 0.1%, “he says. It is also a Dpi that allows you to breathe well, so it should be worn as long as possible ”, he adds. Never forget the strengthening of the other habits that protect us from the virus, especially the disinfection of the hands: “Let’s wash them often and use disinfectants as we have done so far”.
