A mouth and nose protection is an aid in medicine to reduce the transmission of pathogens through secretion droplets to others (third-party protection).

It is usually a medical half face mask made of several layers of fleece, which is fixed with rubber bands on the back of the head or behind the ears. With an integrated flexible metal bracket in the middle of the upper edge, the half mask is pressed against the bridge of the nose to keep the field of view clear and to restrict the upward air outlet.

Medical mouth-nose protection is to be distinguished from simple paper or fabric masks (everyday mask) as well as particle-filtering FFP masks (respiratory mask), which (depending on the filter class) protect against the inhalation of micro-particles.

Mouth and nose protection products are classified into type I and type II in accordance with standard EN 14683: 2019, type IIR denotes a liquid-resistant protective mask.

Type I masks have a bacterial filter performance (BFE) of at least 95%, Type II and II R at least 98%. The breathing resistance must be less than 40 Pa / cm² for types I and II, and less than 60 Pa / cm² for type IIR. Masks of the liquid-resistant type IIR must withstand an injection pressure of at least 16 kPA.

Self-made makeshift masks made from commercially available materials for everyday private use are not considered medical devices or components of personal protective equipment. You may not replace professional masks in places where they are mandatory.