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Why most N95 masks do not satisfy Austria’s tightened mask requirement?

Despite offering a similar degree of protection, N95 masks do not satisfy Austria’s new FFP2 mask requirements.

Published: 25 January 2021 18:05 CET
Why most N95 masks do not satisfy Austria’s tightened mask requirement?
Boxes of N95 masks. Photo: JOHN MOORE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

As of Monday, January 25th, FFP2 masks will be required in all retail shops and supermarkets, along with public transport throughout Austria. 

Long-distance trains will also require FFP2 masks, as will doctors surgeries, airports and aeroplanes.  

FFP2 masks have been chosen as they offer a greater amount of protection 

Anyone who fails to wear a mask in a long-distance train in Austria will risk a fine of 40 euros. 

READ MORE: FFP2 masks to be mandatory in public transport and shops

While the FFP2 masks have been chosen because they offer a greater degree of protection, N95 masks – which offer a similar high level of protection – cannot be worn on public transport, in supermarkets and elsewhere because they have not been certified by European authorities. 

Austria’s Kurier newspaper confirmed that the masks, sometimes known as N95 of KN95, will not meet the requirements where FFP2 masks are required, unless they are certified. 

READ MORE: How much will mandatory FFP2 masks cost in Austria? 

The Austrian Ministry of Health told Kurier that even if they are similar quality they will not satisfy the requirement. 

“If they really comply with this standard, then these masks should be of similar quality to the European FFP2 masks,” a spokesperson said. 

“However, since they are not subject to a European standard, there is no European quality control on them. 

“So they may not have been tested and are therefore legally to be judged only as basic mouth-nose protection.”

EXPLAINED: Why is Austria making FFP2 masks mandatory? 

The spokesperson did say that some N95 masks have been certified and therefore will be allowed. 

https://kurier.at/wissen/gesundheit/corona-kn95-masken-sind-kein-ersatz-fuer-ffp2/401167215

In order to be sufficient, the CE mark with a four-digit identification number should be visible on the mask. 

In addition, the FFP protection level and the manufacturers name must be visible. 

 

 

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HEALTH

Patients in Vienna face long waits for specialist health appointments

Waiting times to get appointments with health specialists in Vienna have increased significantly, a new study has revealed.

Published: 17 May 2024 09:56 CEST
Patients in Vienna face long waits for specialist health appointments

Accessing essential healthcare within a reasonable timeframe is becoming increasingly difficult for Viennese residents.

The Vienna Medical Association presented their new study this week which shows that waiting times for appointments with health specialists have increased significantly in recent years.

The study, which involved contacting over 850 doctors’ practices via so-called “mystery calls,” revealed that child and adolescent psychiatry currently had the longest waiting times in the city.

Patients can expect to wait an average of 90 days for an appointment.

Other specialisations where patients have to wait long to receive help include radiology (57 days), neurology (45 days), ophthalmology (44 days), pulmonology (36 days), internal medicine (33 days), and dermatology (28 days).

The waiting time for seeing a gynaecologist has increased fourfold since 2012, with patients now waiting an average of 32 days.

READ MORE: Why are there fewer public sector doctors in Austria?

No new patients accepted

In certain specialist areas, there is no capacity to accommodate new patients. The situation where no new patients are accepted occurs particularly often in paediatric practices, where more than half of the public healthcare practices have put a freeze on admissions.

In child and adolescent psychiatry, 40 percent do not accept new patients, and among gynaecologists, it is almost a third (30 percent). Family doctors also struggle with welcoming new patients, and many of their practices have already reached full capacity.

The Medical Association calls for immediate action, urging the health insurance sector to become more attractive and receive better funding. This could involve measures to incentivise doctors to work within the public system, potentially reducing wait times and improving patient access to care.

During the study presentation, Johannes Steinhart, president of the association, described the increased waiting times as the result of neglect within the established health insurance sector. He said he believes that the public health system is massively endangered.

Naghme Kamaleyan-Schmied, chairwoman of the Curia of the resident doctors in the association, pointed out that while the population of the federal capital has grown by 16 percent since 2012, the number of public doctors has fallen by 12 percent in the same period.

The association now wants to make the public healthcare system more attractive to doctors, which could cut down waiting times and make it easier for patients to receive care. The association’s demands for this to happen include increasing flexibility in contract options, integrating health and social professions in individual practices, reducing bureaucracy, and improving fees.

ÖGK, Österreichische Gesundheitskasse, Austria’s largest public healthcare fund, is currently creating 100 additional public health positions, with almost two-thirds of the positions already having applicants, as well as planning for another 100 positions. They also aim to create a central telemedicine service and a platform for making appointments by phone and online, which is meant to reduce waiting times and improve access to care.

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