DIY Cloth Face Masks
Homemade face masks can be made from different kinds of fabric, modeled after the surgical mask. Depending on the fabric, a cloth face mask can offer some form of protection against droplets in the air, although compared to the surgical mask, its effectiveness is only around 50%.
Benefits include its reusability (have to be washed after each use) and the fact that it can be made at home. Proper hygiene practices and physical distancing is needed, to avoid a sense of false security while wearing a cloth face mask.
Disposable Surgical Masks
Surgical masks are single-use face masks that loosely cover the mouth and the nose. They are designed to protect the environment from the wearer’s respiratory secretions, but they can also act as a barrier against large particles and droplets in the air. While they provide better protection that a handmade cloth face mask, they have to be disposed of after use.
N95 Respirators
This type of mask offers a more snug fit on the face and a 95% filtering capacity of small particles, sprays, and droplets. A certified N95 mask is capable of filtering out bacteria and viruses, therefore medical personnel is in dire need of these masks at the moment.
It might be more difficult to breathe in these types of masks, and some people cannot wear them – such as people with beards, or small children. They are hard to come by, and also have to be disposed of after use.