Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

August 10, 2020

Is There an Adequate Alternative for Commercially Manufactured Face Masks? A Comparison of Various Materials and Forms

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  • Teesing et al. compared homemade masks made from various readily available materials to N95, FFP2, and KN95 masks. The homemade versions were tested for their ability to filter at least 35% of 0.3 micron particles, to maintain their hydrophobic properties, to seal on the face, breathability, and washability. 
  • Leather, a folded coffee filter between quilt fabric, a folded household paper towel between quilt fabric, and microfiber fabric performed the best at filtering particles. Duckbill models all passed the fit test, but no model that involved an inserted filter in a cotton mask provided a satisfactory fit. The manufactured filters, cleaning cloth, leather, static dust cloth, and felt were all malformed after washing. 

Teesing et al. (Aug 2020). Is There an Adequate Alternative for Commercially Manufactured Face Masks? A Comparison of Various Materials and Forms. Journal of Hospital Infection. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.07.024