Is the outside of a disposable respirator fluid resistant?
Some are; some are not. Most N95 disposable respirators are not fluid resistant, leaving them susceptible to strike- through when hit with splashes or sprays of water, respiratory mucous, blood and other fluids. Strike-through means that as the fluid seeps through the respirator, it carries or wicks microorganisms through with it, ruining the protective barrier. Unfortunately, the wearer may be unaware of the breach. A mask that sheds fluids, thus preventing strike-through, can be more safely used in situations that first responders might find themselves in including rain, crash sites, earthquakes, floods, fire-fighting sites and attending patients with traumatic injuries or who are generating infectious aerosols.
