CHOICE, the Australian Consumers Association contacted me about swine flu and but this ion their website on May 1 2009.
However, according to Dr David Bromwich, adjunct associate professor in the Centre for Environment and Population Health whose speciality is occupational hygiene, some kinds have almost no effect against disease. According to Bromwich, standard dust masks and cheap surgical masks are not adequate and people should be looking for one of two types of mask, one with either a P2 marking (indicating Australian certification) or N95 marking (US certification).
“One of the big problems is that people are exposed to surgical masks a lot, which are designed to protect patients not wearer,” he says. “Every picture you see on the internet seems to be of inappropriate masks like these.”
Bromwich says it is also very important to get the fit of the mask right. “It will be very difficult to fit it correctly with stubble, unusual face shapes, deep contours in skin, and children’s smaller faces.”
