Lisbon .
In the first confinement, many dedicated themselves to making homemade masks as a form of protection against Covid-19. At the time, these masks became essential and part of everyday life, but almost a year later and with a new variant threatening the country and the world, is this measure of protection effective?
In Portugal, doctors and specialists are already asking for a reassessment of the use of homemade masks, but in France, Austria and Germany measures have already been taken: homemade masks were banned in favor of FFP2. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and António Costa have already chosen to use FFP2 as seen this Tuesday in their visit, together with health minister Marta Temido, to the Hospital das Forças Armadas.
The president of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, António Morais, recognizes that it is necessary to reevaluate homemade masks because “it is not possible to inspect them to distinguish which ones are certified and guarantee protection from those that are not effective”. He also defends the mandatory use of surgical masks to the detriment of homemade ones.
For most specialists, FFP2 and surgical procedures are beginning to be the most suitable for individual protection since they “offer a protection of approximately 90%”.
At issue is the filtering quality of the mask that if it is just a cloth covering the nose and mouth is not enough to protect us in the new variant since this is more contagious than the original. Surgical masks and the famous FFP2 have more filtering power and are therefore more effective.
An expert heard by The New York Times highlights the importance of the quality of the masks used. According to the article, the laboratory of this specialists tested different mask materials and the right cloth mask, used properly, may perform well, but the best ones are those that have three layers: two layers of fabric and a filter in the middle. The same article argues that, in cases where justified, placing a surgical mask and a cloth over it can be an effective solution.
The problems of FFP2 masks
The director general of the Technological Center of the Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal (CITEVE) said this Tuesday that the FFP2 masks “are very good” in terms of filtration, but they contain “a set of problems”, namely in the field of breathability.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Braz Costa added that “there are textile solutions” in case it is necessary to increase the level of protection of social masks and that CITEVE, the mask certifying entity, is already working in this direction.
“FFP2 masks are very good in terms of filtration, but they have a number of other problems. They have problems in the field of breathability, they can have problems in the field of CO2 accumulation”, he said.
According to Braz Costa, most of the FFP2 masks used in Portugal are imported and CITEVE has already tested some of them, detecting “serious problems”.
For this reason, and at a time when some countries are imposing the mandatory use of FFP2 masks, Braz Costa asks the Portuguese health authorities for “wisdom”, stressing that there are textile solutions to give social masks a higher level of protection.
British variant grows in Portugal
About 20 thousand of the 151 226 active cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Portugal, until January 22, correspond to infections by the new strain of Sars-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. According to a study by Unilabs laboratories for the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, this variant is already “responsible for about 20% of new infections in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley” and “within three weeks, it will be the source of 60% of infections “spread throughout the country.
This new strain is one of the causes for the rampant growth of cases of Covid-19 in Portugal in recent weeks.
