We rely on our masks to protect us and others. It makes sense that we do our due diligence and research what works best. At Blue Echo Care, our research department is relentless in making sure we are providing only the very best quality health care products on the market. Today we’re going to look at masks we are selling and donating only to health care providers and other frontline workers: our KN95 masks.
N95, KN95, FFP2, P2, DS, Korea 1st class… what are all these masks?
Simply, they are all the same thing: filtering facepiece respirators (FFR). They all test to the same specifications, keep out the same amount of particulates, and conform to each others’ regulatory body requirements. The only difference is where they are made. N95 masks are made in the USA. KN95 masks, like ours, are made in FDA-approved facilities in China. FFP2s are made in Europe, P2s in Australia/New Zealand, and DSs in Japan. 3M, the world’s largest manufacturer of these masks, states, “it is reasonable to consider China KN95, AS/NZ P2, Korea 1st Class, and Japan DS FFRs as “equivalent” to US NIOSH N95 and European FFP2 respirators, for filtering non-oil-based particles such as those resulting from wildfires, PM 2.5 air pollution, volcanic eruptions, or bioaerosols (e.g. viruses).”
So, if they’re all the same, what are their specs?
You can compare specs for all these types of masks with this 3M-generated comparison chart. For our purposes, let’s compare the N95 and KN95. Both have a greater than 95% filter performance, using the same testing agents. Both provide 85 liter per minute air flow. Interestingly, N95s are not required to undergo a mask fit test, while KN95s are, and consistently show less than 8% leakage under real-world conditions, equivalent to the European, Japanese, and other models. The KN95 offers very slightly higher inhalation and exhalation resistance, making it less than 1% less breathable than an N95. This is because the KN95 does not have a replaceable filter; it, like the N95, is meant to be used one time only, though we understand this is not feasible right now for many frontline workers. That’s why we are trying to donate as many of these masks as possible to our first responders.
Blue Echo Care is confident that our masks provide the protection that health care workers need.
In addition to making sure our KN95 masks are the highest quality mask you can buy, we also have thoroughly vetted the facility in China that makes our masks. Our facility has been approved and reapproved for many years by the FDA, the ISO, and the CE. You know the FDA is the United States Food and Drug Administration; in addition to that gold standard, our facility was approved by the ISO (International Standardization Organization) a non-government body of 164 nations that agree to the same product standards, and the CE, which is the European Union’s equivalent of the FDA. We have spent hours and hours with the FDA to make sure that these particular masks measure up to every possible quality standard.
Nothing is more important to us than your health and the health of frontline responders to the COVID pandemic. We at Blue Echo Care work ceaselessly to ensure that we are protecting you and your loved ones with nothing but the highest quality home health products available. Thank you for taking the time to learn about our crucial personal protective equipment; if you’d like to help us donate more KN95 masks to first responders, please visit https://www.blueechocare.com/donation-now/
