{"id":51999,"date":"2022-01-16T00:06:57","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T05:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/?p=51999"},"modified":"2022-01-16T00:07:04","modified_gmt":"2022-01-16T05:07:04","slug":"n95-masks-vs-kn95-masks-similarities-and-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/2022\/01\/n95-masks-vs-kn95-masks-similarities-and-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"N95 Masks vs. KN95 Masks: Similarities and Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Both N95 masks and KN95 masks are made from multiple layers of synthetic material (typically a polypropylene plastic polymer) and are designed to be worn over the mouth and nose. Straps behind your ear help to hold the mask in place. Both masks must filter out and capture 95 percent of tiny 0.3 micron particles in the air (hence the \u201c95\u201d in the names).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cN95 masks offer protection against particles as small as 0.3 microns in size, and while the coronavirus<\/a> itself is around 0.1 microns in size, it\u2019s usually attached to something larger, such as droplets that are generated by everyday activities like breathing and talking,\u201d explains Shaz Amin, founder of WellBefore<\/a> (formerly Honest PPE Supply)<\/a>, which sells masks, face shields, wipes and sanitizers on its website<\/a>. \u201cDue to the multiple layers of non-woven fabric and melt blown fabric in the N95 masks, the strong material makeup of these masks are great at preventing airborne particles from entering through your mouth and nose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how are N95 masks different from KN95 masks? The main difference lies in how the masks are certified. \u201cIn general,\u201d says Sean Kelly, founder of New Jersey-based PPE of America,<\/a> \u201cN95 is the U.S. standard, and the KN95 is the China standard.\u201d Because of this, only N95 masks are approved for health-care use in the United States, even though KN95 masks have many of the same protective properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N95 masks must pass a rigorous inspection and certification process from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is part of the CDC. Companies making KN95 masks, meanwhile, can seek approval from the FDA, through an emergency authorization for a foreign certification which meets the 95 percent filtration requirement. The FDA says the manufacturer of KN95 masks must also provide documentation that the masks and materials used are authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Kelly, whose company was among those tapped by Connecticut lawmakers to provide personal protective equipment to frontline workers in the state<\/a>, certification of KN95 masks include a requirement on \u201cfit testing,\u201d which tests the air inside and outside of the mask, as well as how the mask fits around your face. The N95 masks do not have these requirements to meet their standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, he says, \u201cN95 mask requirements are a bit more stringent regarding the pressure drop in the mask during breathing in, which makes the N95 more breathable than most KN95 masks. The N95 masks have similar requirements for exhaling. These requirements,\u201d Kelly says, \u201cmake the N95 mask a bit more advanced with the overall breathability for users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind, the certifications mentioned above only refer to the country in which the standards and regulations were created, not where the masks are made. Most N95 masks are still made in China. Similarly, the CDC has authorized the use of KN95 masks<\/a> as a suitable alternative to N95 masks for its response to Covid-19 and the new Omicron variant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe KN95 is practically equivalent to N95 in every aspect,\u201d says Amin. \u201cCustomers seem to believe that the N95 is superior at blocking airborne particles, but the KN95 is just as good, if not better,\u201d he insists. \u201cMany N95 [masks] are also made in parts of China and Asia so the notion that all N95 are U.S.-created is inaccurate as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA has released a list of approved KN95 masks here<\/a>. You can view the CDC list of approved N95 masks here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Both N95 masks and KN95 masks are made from multiple layers of synthetic material (typically a polypropylene plastic polymer) and are designed to be worn over the mouth and nose.… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":52000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[1027],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51999"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51999"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52001,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51999\/revisions\/52001"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}