Check out which level CoupFlu is. An N95 ain’t gonna cut it, is it...
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Not being very bio technical-minded, could you explain to me what you ate alluding to? I read the stuff but I can’t make heads or tails of the bullet point.
I’ll see what else I can find later, but for now...
https://www.phe.gov/s3/BioriskManagement/biocontainment/Pages/BSL-Requirements.aspx
Scroll down to the bit on Biosafety Level 3 Safety Equipment.
“Safety equipment
Appropriate PPE must be worn, and respirators might be required.
All work with infectious agents or toxins must be performed within an appropriate biosafety cabinet.”
I don’t think N-95s are gonna cut it.
Not being very bio technical-minded, could you explain to me what you ate alluding to? I read the stuff but I can’t make heads or tails of the bullet point.Different levels of biohazard refer to the amount of protection required to prevent infection, usually in reference to people working with/around the pathogen in lab settings.
Something non-contagious or non-hazardous might require no more than gloves, maybe a basic mask. Something that'll get you slightly sick might require both. Something that'll get you decently sick might require a mask with a particular filtration level. And as you go down the chain, you might need a respirator (full face seal, ALL air is filtered through a canister), a self-contained breathing apparatus (full face seal, ALL air comes from a built-in or hosed-in supply, NOTHING from the ambient potentially pathogen-tainted air), to even a full biohazard suit where there's no possible skin contact as well. Some levels might require special HVAC systems that turn over and filter the ambient air so many times per hour/minute.
For regular diagnostic testing or similar, not much is required. But for actually dealing with known live samples, potential aerosols, they recommend level 3, which generally includes full respirators (way better than an N95, usually rated closer to a P99), body gowns, and work has to be done in a special bio-containment cabinet. Think the movies where they have a glass box with gloves built in the sides.
https://consteril.com/biosafety-levels-difference/