Q: What kind of masks can be reused?
1. N95 respirators
When respirators are in short supply, you may consider reuse, five times maximum.
Research shows that N95 respirators can still keep out 95% of particles in the air after used for two days.
Discard any respirator that is damaged, soiled or becomes hard to breathe through.
2. Surgical masks
Reuse is allowed as long as masks have been used and stored properly.
The mask should be discarded when becoming damaged, soiled, or moist.
Q2: How to handle facemasks properly?
1. N95 respirators
Wash hands before and after putting on the mask, especially when it is used for the second time, to avoid any contact with viruses or bacteria on the outside of the mask.
Put on the mask in accordance with instructions and then perform a user seal check.
Hold one of the ear loops and then lift and remove the mask. Avoid touching the outside and the inside of the respirator.
Hang used respirators in dry and ventilated areas such as hallways, or put them in a clean and breathable container such as a paper bag between uses.
2. Surgical masks
Hang used masks in dry and ventilated areas such as hallways, or put them in a clean and breathable container such as a paper bag between uses.
Avoid putting the mask in a sealed plastic bag. Otherwise, moisture in the mask will stay.
Q3: Can masks be washed or disinfected?
It is not recommended to wash and disinfect masks. Their headgear components may become deformed or loose, and then their filter efficiency undermined and filter layers damaged. If so, the masks will fail to block air particles.
Excerpt from CCTV News
(Translated by School of Foreign Languages of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine)
Q：哪些口罩可以重復使用?
N95等防護口罩
· 在口罩緊缺的情況下，可以多次使用（建議不超過5次）；
· 從一些已有的研究來看，在佩戴2天后，仍能達到95%的過濾效果；
· 如果出現以下2種情況，一定不要再使用：口罩有破損、臟污；呼吸阻力變大。
醫用外科口罩
· 正確摘取及保存可以二次使用；
· 如果口罩出現破損、臟污或濕透，不要再使用。
Q：如何正確保存口罩？
1. N95等防護口罩保存方法
· 佩戴口罩前后需要洗手，特別是二次佩戴，以避免沾染口罩表面病毒、細菌；
· 佩戴口罩時按照說明佩戴，并進行氣密性檢查；
· 用單手拉住口罩帶子，取下口罩，千萬不要接觸口罩的內外面；
· 取下后可以懸掛在干燥、通風的地方（如玄關），或者可以裝入干凈的透氣容器中（如紙袋）。
2. 醫用外科口罩保存方法
· 取下口罩后可以懸掛在干燥、通風的地方（如玄關），或者裝入干凈的透氣容器中（如紙袋）；
· 不要放進密封的塑料袋里保存，口罩佩戴后會有很多水汽，要讓水汽盡快揮發。
Q：口罩可以清洗、消毒嗎?
清洗、消毒過程可能造成口罩變形，頭戴部件老化、變松，導致過濾效率下降，過濾層受損，無法達到氣密性要求。所以不建議大家自行消毒。
（來源：央視新聞）
（湖北中醫藥大學提供翻譯）
