Claim: A Facebook post is correct in saying N95 masks, surgical masks, and cloth masks can be dangerous and/or ineffective in protecting against the spread of COVID-19 based on CDC and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. 
Verdict: REFUTES

Retrieved passages:
title: Surgical mask
text: masks worn by members of the surgical team would reduce the risk of wound infections after clean surgical procedures. Cotton and gauze masks do not serve as surgical masks as they do not offer adequate filtration of microbes. Evidence supports the effectiveness of surgical masks in reducing the risk of infection among other healthcare workers and in the community. In community settings, facemasks must be coupled with other measures such as avoiding close contact and maintaining good hand hygiene to reduce the risk of getting influenza according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its guidance regarding the

title: Surgical mask
text: 2009 swine flu outbreak. For healthcare workers, safety guidelines recommend the wearing of a face-fit tested respirator mask conforming to United States standard NIOSH N95 or European standard EN 149 FFP3 in the vicinity of pandemic-flu patients, to reduce the exposure of the wearer to potentially infectious aerosols and airborne liquid droplets. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information on manufacturers' products, and the importance of correct fitting of such masks (respirators). A printable factsheet has been designed for issue to those unaccustomed to respirator use. Surgical masks are popularly worn by the general public in

title: Surgical mask
text: bacteria or virus particles and are less effective than respirators, which are designed for this purpose. Simple surgical masks protect wearers from being splashed in the mouth with body fluids, and prevent transmission of body fluids from the wearer to others, e.g. the patient. They also remind wearers not to touch their mouth or nose, which could otherwise transfer viruses and bacteria after having touched a contaminated surface (fomite). They can also reduce the spread of infectious liquid droplets (carrying bacteria or viruses) that are created when the wearer coughs or sneezes. There is no clear evidence that disposable face

title: Surgical mask
text: Surgical mask A surgical mask, also known as a procedure mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and during nursing to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. They are not designed to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne bacteria or virus particles and are less effective than respirators, such as N95 or NIOSH masks, which provide better protection due to their material, shape and tight seal. Surgical masks are popularly worn by the general public in East Asian countries to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases.

title: 2002–2003 SARS outbreak among healthcare workers
text: and fluid from escaping into the air—keeping both a patient and a HCW's bacteria and fluid to themselves. Less intentionally but also important, these masks discourage patients and HCWs from putting their fingers or hands in contact with the nose and mouth, which could usually allow bacteria to spread from the hand to these areas. Contrary to popular belief, some types of masks do little to prevent fluid and bacteria from coming in contact with the wearer of the mask, but they can still help prevent airborne infection. Therefore, it is important that both the patient and the HCW wear

title: Scrubs (clothing)
text: controversy within the profession. With the "Spanish flu" pandemic of 1918 and the growing medical interest in Lister's antiseptic theory, some surgeons began wearing cotton gauze masks in surgery; however, this was not to protect the patient from intra-operative infection, but to protect the surgeon from the patient's diseases. Around the same time, operating theatre staff began wearing heavy rubber gloves to protect their hands from the solutions used to clean the room and equipment, a practice surgeons grudgingly adopted. By the 1940s, advances in surgical antisepsis (now called aseptic technique) and the science of wound infection led to the

title: Health and safety hazards of nanomaterials
text: they do not protect against unbound dry materials. Woven cotton lab coats are not recommended for nanomaterials, as they can become contaminated with nanomaterials and release them later. PPE should be donned and removed in a changing room to prevent contamination of outside areas. Respirators are another form of PPE. Respirator filters with a NIOSH air filtration rating of N95 or P100 have been shown to be effective at capturing nanoparticles, although leakage between the respirator seal and the skin may be more significant, especially with half-mask respirators. Surgical masks are not effective against nanomaterials. Smaller nanoparticles of size 4–20

title: 2009 flu pandemic in the United Kingdom
text: that patient to surgery staff and other patients. I expect the Department of Health will issue guidance on use of face-masks if we move into a pandemic phase." Masks may not protect the wearer from inhalation of the virus, but might protect other people from picking up the virus from the wearer. Professor John Oxford, a virologist at leading London hospital, The Barts and the London, said: "Really, there is very little evidence that masks actually offer much protection against flu." It was reported that the UK government was urgently seeking to acquire more face-masks. The advice given by authorities

title: 2002–2003 SARS outbreak among healthcare workers
text: 10 days before getting the disease. One large guideline for HCWs in Toronto hospitals was the use of sufficient and protective equipment to avoid transmission of the disease. The most widely suggested and used pieces of equipment were masks, gowns, gloves, and eye protection. While these pieces of equipment were used by most HCWs, they were not always used—if at all—by everyone, allowing SARS transmission to take place more easily. Surgical masks were suggested to be used by both HCWs and patients. This is because the specifically recommended type of masks do a good job of preventing one's own bacteria

title: Surgical mask
text: A surgical mask, or procedure mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and certain health care procedures to catch microorganisms shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. Its first recorded use was by the French surgeon Paul Berger during an 1897 operation in Paris. Modern surgical masks are made from paper or other non-woven material and should be discarded after each use. A surgical mask is not to be confused with a respirator and is not certified as such. Surgical masks are not designed to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne

title: Dust mask
text: and possibly deadly danger as many dust masks with widely varied levels of protection may look similar, and even masks that do not protect against dust at all, such as paint masks and surgical masks. Misfitting masks are also a danger as they allow a material to bypass the mask entirely. A correct fit may not be as critical in masks that are intended to protect against splattering liquids or mists. Dust masks are manufactured to protect against only certain dangers, and do not protect against chemicals such as vapors and mists. For this reason, it is dangerous to confuse

title: Surgical mask
text: East Asian countries to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases; in Japan, it is common to wear a face mask whilst ill to avoid infecting others in public settings. In Japan and Taiwan, it is common to see these masks worn while ill, as a show of consideration for others and social responsibility. Surgical masks were widely used in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada during outbreaks of the SARS, during the 2007 bird flu pandemic in Japan, and during the 2009 flu pandemic featuring swine flu and the H1N1 virus in the United States and Mexico

title: Surgical mask
text: City. The design of the surgical masks depends on the mode; usually the masks are 3 ply/3 layers. This 3 ply material is made up from a melt-blown material placed between non-woven fabric. The melt-blown material acts as the filter that stops microbes from entering or exiting the mask. Most surgical masks feature pleats or folds. Commonly, 3 pleats are used allowing the user to expand the mask so it covers the area from the nose to the chin. There are 3 different ways to secure the masks. The most popular is the ear loop, where a string like material

title: NIOSH air filtration rating
text: (CDC) for most cases of air contamination. These filters are designed to seal tightly around mouth and nose and are made of material certified to block 95% of particles 0.3 μm or larger in diameter, roughly the size of a single virus and include PM2.5. They are however ""...relatively difficult to breath through..."", and their full effectiveness also depends on a good fit - NIOSH recommends that each respirator wearer receive ""...an initial fit test and annual fit tests thereafter"". Plain surgical masks are standard for staff in hospital operating rooms, and often recommended to the public as part of

title: 2009 flu pandemic in the United Kingdom
text: in the UK were "perfectly safe at the moment", and did not need to start wearing face-masks or stop eating pork. The Head of Pandemic Planning at the Royal College of General Practitioners, Dr Maureen Baker, stated on 27 April that "Masks become ineffective when they become damp or after a few hours. There has been a lot of debate on the use of face-masks and some authorities say that, in the community, the most effective use is to give to patients who may have symptoms when they present in the surgery – that should help reduce the infectivity of

title: 2009 flu pandemic
text: issued general guidance for employers. The U.S. CDC does not recommend use of face masks or respirators in non-health care settings, such as schools, workplaces, or public places, with a few exceptions: people who are ill with the virus when around other people, and people who are at risk for severe illness while caring for someone with the flu. There has been some disagreement about the value of wearing facial masks, some experts fearing that masks may give people a false sense of security and should not replace other standard precautions. Masks may benefit people in close contact with infected

title: Deepwater Horizon oil spill
text: vomiting, anesthetic or narcotic effects.” It advises, “Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing,” and “Wear suitable protective clothing.” For Corexit 9500 the manual advised, “Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing,” “Avoid breathing vapor,” and “Wear suitable protective clothing.” According to FOIA requests obtained by GAP, neither the protective gear nor the manual were distributed to Gulf oil spill cleanup workers. Corexit EC9500A and Corexit EC9527A were the principal variants. The two formulations are neither the least toxic, nor the most effective, among EPA's approved dispersants, but BP said it chose to use Corexit because

title: GP-5 gas mask
text: It was concluded that the mask will last in an NBC situation for 24 hours. They are a favorite of gas mask collectors because they are common and have the "old" circular eyepieces like masks used in World War II and the "helmet" type masks. The GP-5 kit consists of SHM-62 face piece, GP-5 filter, bag and anti fogging lenses. the GP-5 kit can be also completed SHM-62u SHMP SHM-66mu face pieces. There has been some debate as to whether or not the filters are dangerous for containing asbestos. In October 2013, Dixon Information found out that the cotton layer

title: Coccidioidomycosis
text: is key to preparedness in the medical field in addition to improving diagnostics for early infections. Currently there are no completely effective preventive measures available for people who live or travel through Valley Fever -endemic areas. Recommended preventive measures include avoiding airborne dust or dirt, but this does not guarantee protection against infection. People in certain occupations may be advised to wear face masks. The use of air filtration indoors is also helpful, in addition to keeping skin injuries clean and covered to avoid skin infection. In 1998-2011, there were 111,117 cases of coccidioidomycosis in the U.S. that were logged

title: Cosmetology
text: not permit animal testing for cosmetics. OSHA requires manufacturers, importers, and distributors to identify formaldehyde on any product that contains more than 0.1% formaldehyde (as a gas or in a solution), or if the product can release formaldehyde at concentrations greater than 0.1 parts per million (ppm). Safety data sheets (SDS) must also accompany the product and kept on premises with the product at all times. The SDS must explain why a chemical in the product is hazardous, how it is harmful, how workers can protect themselves, and what they should do in an emergency. Salon owners and stylists are