What are the different kinds of masks, and what protection do they offer?

There are three main types of masks that are available:

N95: These are tight-fitting masks that are designed to seal around the nose and mouth and screen out 95 per cent of small airborne particles. They're likely to prevent transmission of aerosolized virus — those suspended as a mist in the air. Because of that, they're used by health-care workers in specific medical procedures that generate aerosols, such as inserting a breathing tube or bronchoscopy (imaging someone's lungs and air passages), said Dr. Mark Loeb, a professor of pathology and clinical epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton. There is a variation of the N95 mask that has an exhalation valve, which makes it easier to breathe but allows unfiltered air to escape. Health Canada recommends against the use of this type of mask as a COVID-19 prevention measure.

Surgical or medical masks: These are looser fitting, more flexible disposable masks that are considered effective barriers against large droplets released by talking, coughing or sneezing — the main way COVID-19 is likely transmitted.

Non-medical cloth masks: You may have seen volunteers sewing these reusable, washable masks for distribution, and some hospitals in the United States were even asking for them as a last resort because of shortages of other kinds of masks. At least one Toronto hospital has requested such masks for people who don't work in health care, such as hospital visitors or recently discharged patients. However, Gardam notes they're quite porous and their effectiveness hasn't been studied much.

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