Both the US Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services are encouraging employers to purchase and stockpile face masks and respirators in advance of an influenza pandemic because respirator manufacturing capacity at the time of an outbreak would not meet the expected demand for respiratory protection devices during the pandemic.
When to Use a Face Mask
People with flu-like illness who cough and sneeze are good candidates for wearing a face mask to limit the spread of infectious respiratory secretions to others. Face masks, including surgical masks, trap droplet-size discharges from coughing or sneezing that may contain bacteria or viruses when they are expelled by the wearer and land on other people or surfaces. Face masks protect healthy people against infection from the person wearing the mask. They do not effectively trap or block the spread of the tiny airborne viral particles.
When to Use a Respirator
Workers in close contact (i.e., within 6 feet) with people who are or may be ill with the flu virus during a pandemic should wear a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-certified N95 respirator or one with greater protection. They are disposable, and the entire respirator face piece is made of filter material. Other NIOSH-certified N-, R-, or P- filtering face piece respirators (e.g., N99, R95, and P100) provide an equivalent or greater level of exposure reduction to airborne particulates as an N95 and can be used if N95s are not available. The wearer must ensure that the respirator fits snuggly on the face without any air gaps.
Dispose of the N95 respirator after each use. Once worn in the presence of someone with the flu, the respirator should be considered contaminated with infectious material. Avoid touching the outside of the device to prevent self-inoculation (touching the contaminated respirator and then touching one's eyes, nose, or mouth). A once-worn respirator will also be contaminated on its inner surface by the microorganisms present in the exhaled air and oral secretions of the wearer.
Consider using reusable respirators. Reusable elastomeric respirators have a flexible, rubber-like face piece with either permanent or removable filter cartridges. The face piece can often be cleaned, repaired and reused, and the filter cartridges can be discarded and replaced when they become unsuitable for further use. Other elastomeric respirators with permanent filter cartridges are designed to be disposed of when the cartridges need to be replaced. The reusable respirator is the best option where supplies of filter face piece respirators like the N95 are in short supply.
Additional H1N1 Planning Information