(Image source from: terrycralle.com)

Though both the masks look similar, they have entirely different standards. Here’s what you need to look before purchasing these masks online or offline.

Since the coronavirus pandemic has taken the country by storm, many manufacturers have come forward with various kinds of face masks. While some of them are effective face coverings with standards, some of them are stylish ones and some of them are cloth made.

With the awareness that N95 masks with filters are the most effective face coverings, people often think that N95 and KN95 masks are similar. In reality, these masks are entirely different.

Similarities and Differences: N95 and KN95 masks

Both N95 and KN95 masks are made from similar synthetic material called polypropylene plastic polymer and are designed to cover both nose and the mouth parts of your face.

Both the masks are capable of filtering out 95% of tiny 0.3 micron particles in the air, hence the name 95.

While these are the similarities, the main difference in these masks lies in the certification. In general, to be precise, Sean kelly, the founder of the New Jersey based PPE of America states that N95 is the US standard while KN95 is the chinese standard.

This is the reason the USA has only approved the use of N95 masks though the KN95 masks have similar features.

N95 masks will pass through a rigorous inspection and certification process from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health which is a part of the CDC before releasing the masks into the market.

Meanwhile, the companies making KN95 masks can seek the approval from the FDA through an emergency authorisation for a foreign certification which meets 95 percent filtration requirement.

The FDA says that the manufacturers of KN95 masks must also provide documentation that the materials used in the preparation of the masks are authentic.

According to Kelly, whose company manufactures protective equipment for frontline workers, the KN95 masks must pass the ‘fit testing’ which tests the air inside and outside the masks as well as how the mask fits your face whereas the N95 masks need to pass this fitness testing.

However, N95 masks requirements are a bit strict in terms of the pressure drop in the mask during breathing which makes the N95 mask more breathable than the KN95 mask.

What does an N95 mask protect against?

According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, N95 respirators have two major advantages over simple cloth coverings.

A report has found out that N95 masks are more than 95 percent efficient in keeping at bay the air particles while talking, coughing or sneezing which make these masks an effective way to filter out germs and bacteria.

N95 masks fit better over the face and the neck ensuring that the droplets do not spill out of the mask. Moreover, N95 masks have been in use for decades in both healthcare and industrial sectors for its efficacy.

Note that the FDA recommends children and people with heavy facial hair or beard to not use N95 masks as these masks do not offer the same level of protection to the people with facial hair.

Are N95 and KN95 masks reusable?

N95 masks are not meant to be reused like cloth masks. The same goes for KN95 masks. People generally wear the same mask everytime they go out and this is not at all recommended with the N95 and KN95 masks.

Both these masks are only effective when worn once or even twice. They must be discarded after this. They are not meant to be hand washed or machine washed.

How to differentiate between Fake N95 and real N95 masks?

Here are some of the precautionary steps you must take to determine the authenticity of the N95 masks. A fake N95 will have these things which certifies them to be ‘uncertified’

• The NIOSH approval stamp will be either missing or misspelt on the face of the mask.
• The mask will have ear loops instead of head bands.
• The TC approval number will not be listed on the face mask.
• The company claims approval for the use of the mask by children.
• The manufacturing lot number is not printed on the mask.
• There will be a presence of decorative add ons to the mask.

In a nutshell, both N95 and KN95 masks are effective in preventing the spread of the virus but N95 masks fit the face better and are also used by frontline health workers.

By Gayatri Yellayi