While you may have heard the term ‘N95’ used a lot in regards to respirator masks, these conform to American standards and aren’t actually certified for medical use in the EU. FFP2 respirators, on the other hand, are CE marked and tested to standards EN 149:2001 and A1:2009, making them suitable for use in medical settings in Europe.
Despite their differing certifications, due to increased need for respirators during the pandemic, a rapid review was carried out by a group of experts convened from PHE and HSE to compare the N95 and FFP2. They found that there is no significant difference between the two, and that they provide 'comparable protection against coronavirus as long as the wearer has passed a face fit test' (HSE 2020).