As stores across America prepare to receive “the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history,” UConn epidemiologist Dr. David Banach is answering the questions about N95 respirators, how they work, and how to use them properly in a new interview with Buzzfeed news: 

There are several different types and shapes of N95s; some look like duck bills, others like domes, and several have three panels.

The main difference between nonsurgical and surgical N95s is that the latter are also fluid resistant to protect doctors and nurses from blood and other bodily fluid sprays, Dr. David Banach, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at UConn Health of the University of Connecticut, told BuzzFeed News.

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N95 respirators are regulated by the US with standards set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), while KN95s (and KF94s and others) follow international standards, meaning they also should screen out about 95% of germs and particles, but their effectiveness can vary between brands sold in the US. That’s why Banach advises extra caution if you choose to wear these masks.

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N95 respirators do expire, Banach said, but it’s usually several years after they are made.

As long as you store your N95s according to its box instructions, you’ll be fine — unless you’re saving them for the next inevitable pandemic.

Dr. David Banach is an expert on infectious diseases and epidemiology and is a leading expert on COVID-19 in America. To book an interview with Dr. Banach, click on his icon today.