According to an article published by the Beijing Municipal Drug Administration, there are currently three types of medical masks: medical protective masks, surgical masks and general medical masks (medical care masks).

Disposable medical mask

Lack of filtration requirements for granular bacteria, wear 4-hour replacement

standard YY/T0969-2013

Requirement are less than surgical masks and N95 masks

Normal medical environment, block the exhalation of normal mouth or nasal cavity

Medical surgical mask

Surgical masks commonly used in operating rooms and other environments with the risk of splash of body fluids and blood can prevent blood and body fluids from passing through the mask and contaminating the wearer. At the same time, they have a filtering efficiency of more than 95% for bacteria, but their filtering efficiency for particles is limited, and most of them are  designed by rectangular, so their closeness with the face is not as tight as that of medical protective masks.

Commonly medical surgical masks are bandage type and ear loop type

Particles blocked at least 30% , replace after wearing for 4 hours

Standard YY0469-2011

Suitable for the protective environment worn during invasive operation

General tightness, filtering about 5 micron particles, the outer layer for water resistance, waterproof foam

The current standard for surgical masks is the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F2100-11. The standard is divided into three levels (Level1 to Level 3), with Level 3 being the highest.

Medical protective mask

It has a good fit with the face of the wearer. It can filter the particles in the air and block pollutants such as droplets, blood, body fluids and secretions, etc. The filtration efficiency of non-oily particles can reach more than 95%, making it a commonly used personal protective equipment against airborne diseases.

Commonly used medical protective masks are arched and butterfly - shaped.