ONE of Spain's leading consumer organisations has rated the best disposable masks currently on sale in supermarkets and revealed some of the international kitemarks to look out for.
For 'ordinary' members of the public going about their day, hygiene masks are normally considered sufficient, since their aim is to prevent the wearer from infecting anyone else more than protecting the wearer him- or herself.
Rules differ from country to country and when travelling, however: In Spain, it is compulsory to wear one at all times when outside the home, even in the open air, and also in one's own car if travelling with someone not in the same household, and there are no exceptions; those who have respiratory conditions that genuinely affect their ability to breathe whilst wearing a mask will be required to show a doctor's note to prove this, although masks are not compulsory when carrying out strenuous exercise.
In the UK, masks are only mandatory inside public buildings such as shops, and on public transport, but not in the street or in a car with another person, and people with respiratory conditions are exempt from wearing them wherever they may be, without the need to prove this if challenged.
In Italy, including on flights travelling into the country, everyone has to wear surgical masks; hygiene masks, of the type worn in 'normal' times by people with a cold when they are around babies, the elderly or immune-compromised, are not enough.
Health workers and carers wear FFP2 and FFP3 masks, a much higher level of protection; although these are ideal if you can find them, masks for everyday errands do not have to be of this calibre in Spain.
Plastic face shields are considered a suitable substitute in Spain, but in the UK, these must be worn with a mask underneath and merely provide extra, not alternative, protection.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com