page_title: Respirator
section_title: Surgical N95
hierarchical_section_title: Respirator / Use / Contrast with surgical mask / Surgical N95
caption_attribution_description: English: A NIOSH and FDA-cleared surgical N95 healthcare particulate respirator and surgical mask by 3M that can filters at least 95% of airborne particles.
context_page_description: A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous atmospheres, including fumes, vapours, gases and particulate matter such as dusts and airborne microorganisms. There are two main categories: the air-purifying respirator, in which respirable air is obtained by filtering a contaminated atmosphere, and the air-supplied respirator, in which an alternate supply of breathable air is delivered. Within each category, different techniques are employed to reduce or eliminate noxious airborne contaminants.
  Air-purifying respirators range from relatively inexpensive single-use, disposable face masks sometimes referred to as a dust mask to more robust reusable models with replaceable cartridges often called a gas mask.
context_section_description: Some N95 respirators have also been cleared by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration as surgical and are labeled  "Surgical N95", "medical respirators," or "healthcare respirators," providing respiratory protection to the wearer as well.
  The CDC recommends the use of respirators with at least N95 certification to protect the wearer from inhalation of infectious particles including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, avian influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), pandemic influenza, and Ebola.
caption: A blue, Surgical N95 healthcare particulate respirator and surgical mask cleared by NIOSH and FDA
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