Consumer group tests masks sold at Spanish supermarkets and gives them the thumbs-up

With a shortage of masks tested and approved according to European Union standards anywhere in the continent – given that this part of the world had very little time to prepare for the Coronavirus pandemic – health authorities have had to allow masks certified in China to enter the market, at least as a temporary measure.

This means their sales are not under such tight regulations, leading to lower prices and competition.

The vast majority are what are known as 'hygiene masks' – of the type used by people with, for example, a cold or 'flu when they are around the elderly, newborns or the immune-compromised, or in general by adults and children undergoing chemotherapy to prevent contagion or infection.

Hygiene masks are cheaper than surgical masks, which offer maximum protection and are more likely to be of the reusable type, typically FFP2 or above – as opposed to reusable masks sold in DIY shops, which are normally FFP1, a lower, but also very efficient level of, protection.

The OCU has examined the cheapest single-use masks on sale in Spanish supermarkets to check how effective they are at filtering out particles, and their general quality – eight types in total – plus three types of reusable masks.

With prices relatively similar across the board – averaging 60 cents per mask for single-use varieties, said to offer protection for up to four hours – practically all disposable ones tested offered a very high level of defence, filtering out over 95% of particles.

The top three were on sale in Mercadona, Día, and Lidl, each in packs of 10 for €6.

Mercadona's Deliplús line (pictured) came out the best, with 99% filtration and good 'breathability', certified under health and safety kitemark UNE 0064 – their only drawback was that their elastic 'ear loops' offered limited resistance and could pop out under strain.

Día's Mask4U three-layered medical masks, a Type I surgical mask certified under kitemark EN 14683, offered 98% filtration and good 'breathability', although with the same relatively low resistance in their 'ear loops'.

Lidl's Jiangsu Excellence, a Type II surgical mask – the highest category of protection and certified under kitemark EN 14683 – offered 99% filtration and a greater level of resistance for the elastic 'ear loops', although the OCU said their 'breathability' level had 'room for improvement'.

Reusable masks generally showed lower filtration efficiency, but based upon the standards currently under discussion within the EU, remain within acceptable parameters.

After five washes with ordinary household detergent at 60ºC – the recommended method of sterilisation – filtration varied between 68% and 86%.

Consum's Belpla multi-layered reusable masks came out top, with an 86% filtration efficiency, good level of 'breathability', and although they cost just under €10 for a pack of 10, they work out cheaper than the single-use masks on sale in general – each one can be safely used five times, meaning a cost of 20 cents for four hours of wear rather than 60.

Despite their low cost, the OCU has been pressing public authorities on the need to provide free masks, especially for the 10% of families who, according to a survey the organisation carried out, are experiencing 'serious problems' in making their income last between paydays already, let alone with the expense of masks on top.

This is even greater now it is compulsory to wear them in all public areas, even outdoors – and, in some regions (Andalucía, Catalunya, Aragón, Extremadura, Murcia, Navarra and La Rioja, and will soon be in Asturias, Galicia and the Basque Country) even mandatory where social distancing, of at least two metres between persons, can be 100% guaranteed.

Many regions already provide free masks to pensioners or to those with health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable if they catch Covid-19, or particularly susceptible to catching it.

In the meantime, the rest of the general public can help by donating packets of masks to local charities.

Also, in some countries – including the UK – availability of masks is currently so limited that wearing them cannot feasibly be made compulsory, and the vast majority of the public does not do so; with high-quality affordable ones on sale in mainstream Spanish supermarkets, anyone with friends or family abroad who cannot get a regular supply could buy several packets in Spain and post them overseas.