Masks for protection from viruses

"Surgical Masks: Loose coverings that don’t reliably filter out airborne particles.

N95s: Single-use masks that filter out 95 percent of airborne particles and are common in hospitals.  The closest European equivalent to N95 are FFP2 / P2 rated respirators.

Elastomerics: Masks often worn in industrial settings that protect as well as or better than N95s, and can be cleaned and reused.

Powered Air-Purifying Respirators: Battery-powered devices that provide the most protection but are costly to buy and maintain (purchase price at roughly $800 each).

A third possibility are elastomerics. Many models were certified to provide protection at least as good as that of N95s. They could be reused for years, requiring only an occasional filter replacement, and cost about $30 or $40 apiece.

One elastomeric could do the work of hundreds of N95s, maybe thousands, and would occupy a fraction of the storage space."