Reply to Viner, A.;Ayrey, S. Comment on “Scheepers et al. Comparative Performance Testing of Respirator versus Surgical Mask Using a Water Droplet Spray Model. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1599”

ABSTRACT

When searching for ‘total inward leakage’ on Google, the first hit refers to a statement by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health [3] “Total inward leakage (TIL) is an estimate of the performance of a respirator, which is measured as the leakage of contaminants through the filter media and through the face-seal interface and exhalation valve of respiratory protective devices under laboratory conditions. There is a lack of consensus on the most appropriate test method to measure TIL”. [...]it is not useful to discuss this with respect to its application in EN1492001 [2]. For other tasks, good quality surgical masks provide sufficient protection. Since our paper was published, two additional systematic reviews have analyzed the current collection of studies, including the more recent studies.