Which Mask is Right for Me?
Below is a simple comparison between:
1) the Pasture Pharma NT-V2 Nano Bi-Directional Respirator (mask), the next generation of mask created through nano-technology specifically designed for First Responders,
2) the GPU Respirator (mask), which is cleared by the FDA , and
3) the TAF 1200 N95 Respirator
| Topic |
Nano Bi-Directional
NT-V2 |
GPU
Respirator |
N95
Respirator |
|
Usage Time |
24 hours |
2 hours |
2 hours |
|
Neutralizes bacteria and viruses |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Easy to Breathe technology |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
NIOSH Approved N95 Respirator |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
FDA Cleared for use by the General Public |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Recommended for Public Use in influenza pandemic |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Meets Fit Assessment criteria for 'untrained' users |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Package contains User's Instructions for general public |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Facial contoured design to reduce leakage |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Number of filtration layers |
7 |
5 |
5 |
|
Minimum 95% filtration efficiency |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Blood & Fluid resistance |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Fire retardation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Hypoallergenic |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Comfortable to wear |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Disclaimer: This chart is for comparative purposes only. Not all N95 masks are made the same, and not all 'N95's' are US NIOSH-approved N95 Respirators.
According to the FDA, the general public should purchase General Public Use Respirators. You may be surprised to see that verify few manufacturers have FDA cleared products for the public (not requiring a "fit test" or instructions on how to don a mask).
NIOSH approved N95 respirators were designed under a mandate by Congress and regulated by OSHA for occupational use only (not general public use). It was understood from the outset that all wearers would be required by OSHA to receive training and go through an annual ‘Fit Test’, a procedure that takes 30 minutes administered one-on-one by an approved government trainer—this process includes dawning a hood and spray to see if the wearer of the respirator can taste or smell the substance. If they can, there is leakage. They have to repeat the test until they learn how to dawn a mask effectively so there is absolutely no leakage. This process insures that the wearer understands how to fit the respirator so it has
no leakage.
Because the general public has not received such training, the FDA has created guidelines that created a special respirator class called ‘General Public Use Respirators’. Very few manufacturers have passed the
‘Fit Test’ nessesary to receive such designation.
The FDA developed specifications that a manufacturer would need to meet that included creating a ‘fit’ that would work for the majority of all adults who have no training and simply follow the FDA approved instructions printed on the label. Of the hundreds of NIOSH approved N95 manufacturers, very few mask models have passed the FDA specifications. These models have been shown to provide a satisfactory fit in most adults who have received
no training.
The N in N95 stands for NIOSH, which is the government agency under the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (and these both fall under the Department of Health and Human Services). The former US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson (who founded the pandemic committee), is in the documentary, Truth about Pandemic Flu, as well as the CDC and FDA, in an effort to prepare the public for a Pandemic. The message they want physicians to understand is that NIOSH (the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) that approves all N95 respirators works in concert with OSHA (which falls under the Department of Labor) and requires annual fit test for N95 use. These are NOT intended for the public and only GPU respirators are approved for the public regarding the pandemic.
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