Table 2.

Surgical masks versus FFP2, specification according to EN standard

Certification/ Class (Standard)	FFP2 (EN 149)	Type II Surgical Mask (EN 14683)
Protection	Protection of the carrier against solid and liquid aerosols	Protection against droplet ejection from the carrier*
Application	Self protection / Industrial safety	External protection*
Filter performance – (must be ≥ X% efficient)	0.3 Microns ≥94%	3.0 Microns: ≥ 98% 0.1 Microns: No requirement
Total inward leakage	≤ 8% leakage (arithmetic mean)	No requirement
Exposure to of inert particles and live aerosolised influenza virus	Estimated 100-fold reduction**	Estimated 6-fold reduction**

*This description meets the requirements of the EN standard. However, the evidence described in the body of the article and many years of experience show that surgical masks provide sufficient self-protection

**According to the Health and Safety Laboratory for the Health and Safety Executive 2008, https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr619.pdf