Surgical masks: Medical grade or standard grade

[abbby]

How do you tell if the surgical mask is of medical grade and not standard grade?

[pluspreorder]

Hi Abbby! To be honest, it's hard to check if the masks are not from a brand name. The tests for quality, in particular the one testing what particles can go through the mask, cannot be conducted by lay people like us. It has to be carried out in a lab. So I would say buying from a reputable brand / store is your best bet. These stores have a reputation to keep!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Stick with Pharmacies and/or Safety specialty stores or brand names. But be sure you know how to accurately spell the brand name else there might be one letter different/missing but in haste you grab and buy.

[sandychan0226]

Hello all,

I found this article to differentiate between medical or surgical grade masks.

The Number One Thing to Look Out For When Buying Masks:
https://qandm.com.sg/Latest-Happening-D ... maskSOS/52


As our children return to schools, the protecting our children and families from COVID is dependent on students, teachers, and staff wearing the right type of masks, medical grade surgical masks that offer people protection when physical distancing is not possible.

However, at present, mask suppliers and opportunistic traders are supplying large quantities of masks of household-use grade to Singapore and passing them off as surgical masks of medical grade, causing less discerning consumers to purchase masks with false certifications, misleading them to believe that they are buying medical-grade surgical masks that offer them adequate protection against COVID-19.

See these videos for a quick overview:

1) 5 Tips to Test Real vs Fake Surgical Masks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC0Hga10nbk
2) Channel News Asia's video, 'How Do You Spot A Fake Surgical Mask'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwGh3LHQrDg