UAE Doctors urge mass production of ‘FFP3’ face mask that cuts Delta variant risk

Doctors in the UAE have called for mass production of a three-layer face mask that gives more protection against the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19.

Multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants are circulating globally. One of these is the B.1.617 lineage, detected in India earlier this year. Early evidence suggests that it’s sub-lineage B.1.617.2, known as the Delta variant, is more transmissible than contemporary lineages.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which has given it the label Delta, has categorised it as a variant of concern (VOC). It has said it continues to observe “significantly increased transmissibility” and a “growing number of countries reporting outbreaks associated with this variant”.

So the Doctors recommends people double their protection against the Delta variant of covid-19. It is known as the FFP3 (filtering facepiece) and provides four times the protection of the commonly used two-layer N95 mask, medics say. The FFP3 sits more tightly against the face, with three layers of protection to filter out 99 per cent of airborne particles.

Manufacturers are producing enough masks for hospital workers but doctors in the UAE are urging them to mass-produce the FFP3 types because supplies in the UAE are limited. Hospitals buy them from medical suppliers but they are hard to find online for individual purchase.

Why FFP3 masks?

Healthcare workers caring for Covid-19 patients use either the FFP2, also known as the N95, or the FFP3 mask.

Some of the masks widely used by the public include the N95, surgical masks and reusable fabric masks.

The two-layer N95 mask helps filter out 94 per cent of airborne particles, said filter solutions company GVS Group.

Meanwhile, the FFP3 mask, which has three layers, will filter out a minimum of 99 per cent of airborne particles.

The difference between the two is the extra layer of protection, and that the FFP3 has been designed for a tighter facial fit to block out all particles.