What are those thingies called?

Surgical masks?

Particle/dust filters?

Handkerchiefs?

Oh s*** filters?

All I can come up with off the top of my head.
HN

Are you talking about the white ones you've seen Michael Jackson wear in public places?

They're particle dust masks in general, and surgical masks if you're in the medical arena (though they have different styles - surgical mask is the name)

That's what the boxes said when I was in the medical field, and that's still what the boxes say now that I'm in the industrial/environmental field.

Yes, they're all exactly the same thing. Particle mask or surgical mask is what they're called (and by that I mean they're referred to as both, not either - depending on who's buying them.) My mechanics call them particle masks.

My doctors called them surgical masks.

Same same.

Surgical mask / aka dust mask / aka particle mask.

Here in Japan...

those masks are worn by nearly everybody! They are called by the English name of face mask!

We call them face masks. My husband wears one when he mows.

Oh, shoot, Nachy... all of my Intro to Healthcare knowledge is leaving me!

I *think* that surgical masks are different than what is in the picture... I know for sure that we're not supposed to wear that kind of mask around a TB patient OR transport a TB patient wearing just that kind of mask... there's some other kind of mask we're supposed to use, which is apparently closer to what they were in surgery... but my mind is all muddled.