Following its statement of 6 August 2021 on the strategy to be adopted for the State stocks of masks and personal protective equipment (PPE), including FFP2 respiratory protective equipment (RPE), the HCSP was asked on 9 February 2022 by the French General Directorate for Health (DGS) to provide quantitative recommendations to determine the number of masks, RPE and other PPE to be maintained in the State stock managed by Santé publique France.

This second statement provides an estimate of the daily consumption volume of the different types of masks or respirators used in emerging or re-emerging infectious risk scenarios presenting different modes of respiratory transmission, by droplet or aerosol.

The populations concerned were divided into three categories: healthcare workers, other exposed workers and the general population.

A high and low estimate of daily consumption is provided for each situation, taking into account three scenarios: scenario 1 when the whole population wears a medical mask (or possibly a UNS1 mask for the general public), scenario 2 when the population is required to wear different types of masks depending on the circumstances, and finally scenario 3 when the whole population has to wear a RPE.

The HCSP has also issued recommendations, including in particular those to

• maintain stocks in the general population;
• provide for different sizes of masks to adapt to facial morphologies;
• promote scientific research into mathematical models for calculating a State stock of masks and other PPE, including epidemiological, microbiological and clinical indicators.