In Germany, new proposals: conventional masks would no longer be enough

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz officially announced on Sunday that disposable filter respirators, better known as FFP2, must be used on public transport and in stores from January 25. The country is scheduled to extend the quarantine until February 7.

A similar requirement for trains, trams, buses and supermarkets went into effect on Monday in Bavaria, Germany’s largest and southernmost region, although penalties for non-compliance will not apply until January 24 and exemptions will be provided for drivers of bus, drivers and children under 15 years of age. .

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of state of sixteen countries will discuss the Bavarian decision on Tuesday. During the remote meeting, the quarantine is expected to last until February, a curfew will be introduced, and new teleworking requirements will be introduced.

If used correctly, the FFP2 respirator holds up to 94 percent. particles. However, it costs more, usually two to five euros per unit. If these respirators become mandatory and suppliers do not address the increased demand, there are fears that the price of this protective measure will only increase.

Some virologists warn that the requirement to use this type of respirator can bring the opposite result than expected.

“In theory, the mere decision to switch to professional protective measures is welcome. I am only concerned about the fact that the desire to follow the Bavarian example may have fundamental shortcomings. In most cases, FFP2 respirators, if not they are used correctly, they are not effective: people breathe through the space between the mask and the face, rather than through a special filter ”, explains John Schmidt Chanasit, a German virologist at the University of Hamburg.

Experts say respirators are also ineffective if the person wearing them has a beard.

“I fully understand the argument that FFP2 respirators are a good quick fix for workplaces where it is difficult to ensure safe ventilation. I’m just skeptical about the decision to make them mandatory on public transport, where there are certainly other ways to avoid the risk of aerosols, and where passengers will have to wear masks for more than 75 minutes, which may already be unsafe, “he says. Schmidt Chanasitas.

Andreas Podbielski, director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene at the University of Rostock, calls the new requirement to wear protective gear “populism and nonsense.”

“In this case, I don’t see many benefits in terms of safety, more risks,” he told the Abendzeitung in Munich.

Questions about the availability of FFP2, which is the equivalent of the N95 used in the United States and the CN95 used in China, also remain unanswered.

In Germany, the government sent out 34.1 million coupons for FFP2 masks as of December 15. people over the age of sixty and people with diseases such as cancer. The aim is to provide 15 such masks to all Germans in this category by the end of January.

A spokesman for the Federal Federation of German Pharmacists Associations says its members have so far been able to cope with the demand: “Only when it comes to the demand for respirators is 80 million. people, it’s a completely different challenge. I don’t want to predict what the consequences might be. “

Although several German manufacturers have started to specialize in the production of FFP2 respirators, most protective masks are still made in China and can take up to four weeks to deliver.

Germany’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, announced 7,141 new cases a day on Monday, the lowest number since Oct. 20.

“After a sharp increase in new cases in early December, a slowdown during the holidays and a further jump in the first week of January, the number of cases is stabilizing again,” the Robert Koch Institute said in a statement on Sunday night.

Unfortunately, for Germany, even though strict restrictions have been in place for several weeks, there is no way to reach fifty new infections per 100,000. population statistics in seven days. “The numbers should continue to fall,” said German Health Minister Jens Spahn.