Masks of N95 and KN95 sound alike, and so are they in one way or another.
The N95 masks and KN95 masks typically consist of several layers of a polypropylene-plastic polymer, a synthetic material, and they are designed to be worn over the mouth and nose secured by straps.
Both masks are also required to capture and filter 95% of small 0.3 micron particles in the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These tiny particles are smaller than the droplets expelled while coughing, talking or nibbling – making them an effective way to filter germs, according to health officials.
However, there are some important differences.
In addition to an additional consonant in the name, the main difference is how the masks are certified.
“N95 is the American standard, and the KN95 is the China standard,” said Sean Kelly, founder of the New Jersey-based PPE of America whose company was under the rug by Connecticut lawmakers to provide personal protective equipment to frontline workers in the state. Yahoo News.
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According to the news website, N95 masks must undergo a strict inspection and certification process from a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. However, due to the demand and need for PPE during this pandemic, manufacturers of KN95 masks can obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration through an emergency authorization for a foreign certification, as long as it meets the 95% filtration requirement, the news website. The FDA says that the manufacturer of KN95 masks must also provide documentation that the masks and materials used are authentic, the article stated.
To certify a KN95 mask, it must meet Chinese government requirements with a mask-fit test with less than or equal to 8% leakage during testing, according to several reports.
N95 mask used by healthcare professionals is compared to KN95 mask
(iStock)
Although the N95 masks do not have the same requirements, the N95 mask requirements are a bit stricter regarding the pressure drop in the mask when breathing, which makes the N95 breathable than most KN95 masks, Kelly told Yahoo. The N95 masks have similar exhalation requirements.
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The said certificates relate to the country in which the standards and regulations were made, not where the masks were made, according to Yahoo. Most N95 masks are still made in China, the report said. Similarly, the CDC has authorized the use of KN95 masks as a suitable alternative to N95 masks for their response to COVID-19.
The masks are not to be worn by children or people with significant facial hair, and unlike dust masks, they are not usable. The best N95 masks are only effective if worn once or twice. Here is a list of N95 masks approved by the CDC and KN95 approved by the FDA.
