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Face Masks
The term "face mask" includes cloth masks, plus single-use face masks (commonly called surgical or medical masks), and N95/P2 respirator face masks. All of them, manufactured properly, are suitable for use to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). We strongly recommend you buy Australia Made face masks so as to ensure an effective, quality product.
Fabric or Cloth Face Masks
Fabric or Cloth face masks are any nose and mouth covering made of washable fabric. It's recommended a cloth mask made of three layers of a mix of breathable fabrics to ensure adequate protection. It does not need to be surgical quality to be effective.
You can even Make Your Own Cloth Mask.
Fabric/Cloth Face Mask are reuseable and should be washed after each use. See How to Wash Cloth Face Coverings.
We have available the Australian Made range of Sharkskin Envirus advanced technology fabric, antimicrobial face masks. (See below.)
Surgical or Medical Level 2 and Level 3 Facemasks
Surgical or Medical masks are made with a non-woven melt-blown polypropylene layer and available in various levels of protection. These are single-use, disposable masks only so can't be washed and used again.
Medical or Surgical Face Masks should be manufactured to Level 1, 2 or 3 according to the Australian Standards. Revised in December 2015 the standard AS 4381:2015 for Face Masks are now performance-based on 3 tests:
- Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) with Differential Pressure (Delta P) & Synthetic Blood Penetration Resistance. Fluid resistance is measured mm Hg, masks are rated according to performance.
- L1-80 mm Hg. L2-120 mm Hg. L3-160 mm Hg.
- Fluid Resistance: The ability of the mask to limit the passage of blood or body fluids from the outer facing through the mask layers to the inner facing.
Level 1. Applications: For general purpose medical procedures, where the wearer is not at risk of blood or body fluid splash or to protect staff and/or the patient from droplet exposure to microorganisms (e.g. patient with upper respiratory tract infection visits General Practitioner).
Level 2. Applications: For use in emergency departments, dentistry, changing dressings on small wounds or healing wounds where minimal blood droplet exposure may possibly occur (e.g. endoscopy procedures).
Level 3. Applications: For all surgical procedures, major trauma first aid or in any area where the health care worker is at risk of blood or body fluid splash (e.g. orthopaedic, cardiovascular procedures).
In general surgical/medical face masks are way more comfortable than the N95 respirator style face masks. However, because these surgical masks are in short supply for medical professionals and emergency service providers, the government is suggesting you use a non-medical fabric face mask.
P2 or N95 Respirator Face Masks
A P2 mask, also known as a P2/N95 mask or P2/N95 respirator, is a disposable face mask that is specially designed to filter the air and block particles above a certain size, including smoke and fine dust. The only difference between P2 and N95 is the region of classification and its testing requirements — P2 is European and N95 is the USA equivalent.
P2 or N95 respirator face masks are not recommended for use in the community and not advised to be used outside of healthcare or specific industries under health advice. We should prioritise the use of N95 respirators for those personnel at the highest risk of contracting or experiencing complications of infection.
Sharing at The Scuba Doctor
Some of the pages on The Scuba Doctor site now contain a set of links to external social websites. This enables you to share The Scuba Doctor pages that you find interesting with your friends and contacts on those external sites.
Whilst The Scuba Doctor does not link to a site in return for money, goods or services, we are part of the wider web, and many of our users also use social networks and bookmarking services. We want you to be able to share and comment on the content we produce, if you wish to, and these links make that easier.
How does sharing work?
All of these sites are free to use and require you to register with them. Once you have registered you can begin sharing links.
You will not need an account with The Scuba Doctor to do this. When you click on a site's logo you will be directed away from The Scuba Doctor website to the social site. The Scuba Doctor will not ask you for any personal information during this process.
Please note, when you click on one of these links and navigate to an external site such as Facebook or Twitter, you will be subject to the terms of use and privacy policy of that website. Also note, clicking on these links may result in a cookie being set in your browser by the website with which you have chosen to share a The Scuba Doctor page.
What happens when I use the links on your pages to share items?
Sharing an article is a simple process. When you navigate to any of the available external sites — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Delicious, Digg, Reddit or StumbleUpon — a pop-up will appear that enables you to sign in to that site (if you are not already signed in), and then share the link.
Which services do you link to?
Currently, we provide prominent buttons that will help you use four sites — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest — as well as a 'share menu' that provides access to others like Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon and Reddit.
How did you decide which services to link to?
We have chosen the most relevant social sites for our users by assessing the volume of referrals from those sites to The Scuba Doctor website, their technical compatibility, and the number of users they have overall. All of the services chosen are currently free at the point of access for users. We monitor the range of social sites on the internet and regularly review our choice.
Why are Facebook and Twitter more prominent than the other networks?
We are reflecting the preferences of users in Australia. Currently Facebook is the largest social network and Twitter, although having a smaller audience than Facebook, is growing faster than any other social site. Both also offer the technical capability to enable sharing activities.
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
You can find out more about the terms governing your use of The Scuba Doctor website and how The Scuba Doctor uses your personal information in our Legal Notices and Privacy Policy pages.
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