What must be considered when wearing MNS?
Medical face masks mainly protect the other person from infectious droplets released by the face mask wearer and were developed as medical products for the protection of others. Mouth and nose protection (MNS), often also called a surgical mask, is a single-use product that is normally used in everyday clinical practice or in doctor's offices. This mask consists of special plastics and has a multi-layer structure.
Such a face mask can be recognized quickly by its visually striking appearance. It features a rectangular shape with drape to allow the mask to best conform to the face for use. The front (outside) is usually colored, the back (inside) is not. Such masks have ear loops and a wire nose clip and of course have clearly defined filter properties.
Its use in a clinic is primarily intended to prevent droplets from the doctor's breathing air from getting into an open wound in the patient. In the field of mouth and nose protection, we offer both COSY Medical Type II and COSY Medical Type IIR with our COSY product line.
Our Surgical Mask COSY (MNS)
Our COSY mask contains an easily modelable nose clip, consists of a fleece part that is folded in the middle and has ear loops on both sides, which ensure increased wearing comfort.
Inside and outside we use a skin-friendly, allergy-free polypropylene fleece for our MNS. The filter medium inside is a polypropylene meltblown fleece from our own production.
All materials used are free of irritants and odourless, which maximally avoids intolerance reactions on the part of the wearer and at the same time goes hand in hand with comfortable use. Our masks are suitable for everyday use and are particularly comfortable thanks to the ear loops. The color of the outer fleece can be freely selected according to customer requirements.
Non-sterile medical face masks are usually medical products in so-called risk class I (according to the Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC, MDD). Of course, particularly high demands are placed on medical products in contrast to everyday masks. They must comply with precise legal regulations and also comply with the European standard EN 14683:2019-10. For the latter standard, manufacturers like us have to carry out a successful verification procedure (conformity assessment procedure) in order to prove precisely that products meet all legal requirements. Only then can medical masks be provided with the well-known CE mark and freely distributed in Europe. We are pleased about the good and close cooperation with the responsible authorities, well-known institutes and official bodies, which enables a continuous and well-founded exchange.
Use of MNS COSY
Medical face masks are used in healthcare facilities because they reduce the release of droplets from the nose and throat of the wearer. The emission of droplets and splashes when speaking, coughing and sneezing is therefore reduced, while the virus concentration in the ambient air decreases.
These masks are primarily used to protect other people (protection of others). During operations on non-infectious patients, MNS masks prevent droplets from the staff's nose or mouth from getting into the surgical area and unintentionally contaminating it. The potentially contaminated breathing air of the staff, which flows around the masks, is not a problem here because it is kept away from the patient by a clean air system above the operating table.
Anyone who is part of the medical or nursing staff must wear Type II MNS masks to protect the patients. Application examples can be found when working in the operating room or other medical facilities with similar requirements. With MNS masks, wearers protect the treated patients from their respiratory emissions. Type I masks are not intended for healthcare professionals in operating rooms or similar situations. MNS masks are intended for the protection of others. Because these masks don't seal properly, they don't provide enough protection against airborne infection that comes from other people. They therefore provide at least partial protection against larger droplets.
What do you have to pay attention to when wearing?
The mask must fit snugly around the edges and cover the mouth and nose throughout. By adjusting the length of the ear loops or straps (e.g. using knots), the fit can be individually optimized. FFP2 masks lose their protective effect as soon as air penetrates the edges. A beard excludes the dense wearing of these masks. If the mask is soaked, it should be changed because this affects the filter performance. In total, no more than eight hours total wearing time per mask is recommended.
Masks with a higher degree of protection, such as FFP2 masks, usually have an increased breathing resistance. Make sure you take regular breaks when wearing the mask. To remove, grasp the side straps and do not touch the front or inside. Wash hands with soap or disinfect after touching the mask.
The mask must be disposed of when it is dirty or completely soaked. It is possible to dry worn masks in the air (not heating or similar) and to use them again by the same wearer. The total wearing time of eight hours per mask should not be exceeded and the procedure for removing the mask should be observed. The masks must not be treated with disinfectants, washed, ironed, heated in the microwave or similar, as this affects the protective effect.
Surgical masks made of cellulose must not be washed, otherwise the filter performance would decrease significantly. Although the masks are considered disposable products, many experts see no problem in using them several times privately - a maximum of five times. Especially if you only wear MNS for a short time, for example to go shopping. After that, they should be hung on a hook and dried at room temperature. Researchers advise not to wear masks on two consecutive days, but to use seven marked masks in a row.
Which masks are allowed?
If a mask is approved according to DIN EN 14683 (Type I, II, IIR), this type of mask is a medical protective mask within the meaning of the Corona Ordinance.
Type II masks are generally approved for use by healthcare professionals. Masks with the suffix "R" are liquid resistant. These offer standard-compliant splash protection in accordance with EN 14683:2019+AC:2019. EN 14683 is a standard that medical face masks must meet in Europe. The test requirements include bacterial filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, splash resistance and microbiological purity.
This is a guarantee that it has been tested and approved as medical equipment and for personal use. You can also be sure that it is of high quality.
There are three types of mouth and nose protection: Type I, II and IIR. Mouth and nose protection belongs to type IIR. This gives you the highest level of protection as the mask also protects against droplets.
Specifically, this means:
In the first part of the test, the Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) is tested. This is the ability of the mouth and nose protector to retain bacteria so that they do not get into the environment (BFE), (%). The following numbers can be recorded for type I, II and IIR in sequence: ≥ 95, ≥ 98, ≥ 98
Breathing resistance: the lower the value, the easier it is for the user to breathe (Pa/cm2). The following numbers can be recorded for type I, II and IIR in sequence: < 40, < 40, < 60
Splash Resistance: The ability of the face mask to resist penetration by liquid splashes (kPa). The following figures can be recorded for type IIR: ≥ 16.0
Microbiological purity: This documents the purity in the manufacturing process (cfu/g). The following numbers can be recorded for type I, II and IIR in sequence: ≥ 30, ≥ 30, ≥ 30
Summary / Review
The medical face masks known from everyday medical life are also colloquially called surgical masks, mouth and nose protection, mouth protection. These are "medical devices".
They shine with reliable protection and an optimized fit. Made in Germany, they are very skin-friendly and have a high intolerance resistance. Tested by TÜV Rheinland, our COZY model meets the requirements of EN 14683:2019+AC:2019 for type IIR masks. When treating quarantine patients with highly infectious diseases such as open tuberculosis or measles, mouth and nose protection is not sufficient. In these cases, at least a class FFP2 respirator should be worn. In this special case, completely sealed protective equipment is required on special isolation wards. Discover our further range of FFP2 masks from the product lines DODO, THARA, KARLA and DODO AIR as well as our popular rapid corona tests.
We will advise you personally. Contact us for an offer that is individually tailored to you.
