In COVID-19 times, masks are mandatory in many places. Now Bavaria is tightening their regulations – a simple cloth mask is no longer sufficient, it must be a certified FFP2 mask. What does that mean?
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Simple face mask
The current regulation in Germany requires a simple face mask to be worn as a minimum requirement in most public areas. This is a piece of cloth that completely covers the mouth and nose. Even a bandanna or scarf would qualify. When you exhale, it inhibits the flow of air and therefore the distance that germs can travel. And this already significantly reduces the risk of infection for other people.
The purpose of such masks is not to protect the people wearing them from infection: They protect the people everyone else from the wearers germs. Because transmission is frequently caused by asymptomatic people, everyone is a potential virus carrier.