Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that when it comes to wearing two masks to protect the coronavirus, it’s ‘logical’ that more than one coat of masking would be more effective.
There is no specific research on how well face masks work against new variants of the virus, including the more transmissible variant from the UK that has been detected in at least 22 states in the United States.
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A mask “is a physical cover to prevent drops,” Fauci said Monday on NBC’s “TODAY” show. “So if you have a physical coating with one layer, then you put on another layer, it only makes sense that it would probably be more effective.”
Speaking at a White House briefing last week on whether the new variant will make masks less effective, he said that on the contrary, the variant “is the reason why you absolutely must wear a mask.”
Dr. Marybeth Sexton, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Emory University of Medicine in Atlanta, agrees with Fauci’s view.
‘The new variants can lead people to have a higher amount of viruses in their nose, so that when they breathe, talk or cough or sing, they can place more viral particles in the environment than the average person,’ she said.
But, Sexton added, “it should not be a big deal if everyone has a mask.”
If worn correctly, face masks are expected to help prevent the spread of any respiratory virus, regardless of the variant.
“If it was not obvious six months ago, it certainly is now,” said Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease expert and associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
What mask should you wear?
The key is to find a balance between ease and effectiveness.
“If you put on three or four masks, it will filter better because it is more layers of cloth,” said dr. Scott Segal, chairman of anesthesia at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said. “But you will take it down because it’s uncomfortable.”
Segal has been studying a large portion of face covering substances in recent years in response to the pandemic. In general, 3-layer surgical masks provide the best protection for the average individual.
For those who choose cloth masks, Segal recommends “two layers of high-quality cotton material with a relatively high thread count.”
The acceptance of face masks has come a long way in recent years. Americans are increasingly using it as a way to make fashion statements or to love their favorite sports teams.
As a result, the mask industry exploded with little oversight. There is no standardized tool (such as one equivalent to a nutrition fact label on food) for consumers who want to measure the quality of the mask.
Technically, the Food and Drug Administration regulates masks, including the face coverings of cloth, but only when marketed specifically for ‘medical purposes’. Most businesses do not explicitly advertise their products as such (in fact, many declare that their masks are not for medical use), which should oblige consumers to decide who offers the most protection.
The gold standard N95 mask is not recommended for the average person, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and should rather be reserved for health professionals.
“You can have a very good N95 mask, but let’s say someone does not wear it properly, or wears it only 50 percent of the time,” said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and former Baltimore health commissioner, said. “I’d rather have someone wear a surgical mask or cloth mask 100 percent of the time, correctly and consistently.”
Last year, the FDA approved the Chinese version of the N95, called KN95, for emergency use. Counterfeit versions of KN95s, however, flooded the market. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is part of the CDC, has a detailed, visual list of drop-off marks.
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One easy way to test cloth masks at home is to hold them against a light. If light shines between the different fibers of the cloth, it probably means that viral particles can also pass through, Segal said.
His research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal, also found that adding a piece of flannel between layers of cotton could also be an effective way to filter out viral particles. It can be added to masks with an opening in the middle so that users can insert an additional filter.
Segal did not recommend the use of industrial-quality coffee filters or vacuum filters, citing a lack of evidence that it works well to filter viral particles appropriately. Other filters, such as PM2.5 filters, do not block viral particles but can be counted as an additional layer in a mask.
No matter what type of mask is used, the most important thing is to wear it correctly.
“I’m more worried about people wearing masks on their chins, not covering their mouths and noses, than I do about the mask,” said Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a former acting director, said. of the CDC.
Indeed, “the best quality mask is honestly the one that you wear the right way the longest when dealing with other people,” said Wolfe, of Duke University.
Facial covers should extend from the top of the nose to the chin without making gaps on the sides.
“If your nose sticks out, it’s completely useless,” Segal said.
Other tips include:
- Avoid masks with a valve. Segal said that although the valve allows easier breathing, it defeats the purpose of wearing a mask because it releases viral particles and endangers others.
- Keep extra masks on hand if one breaks or gets dirty
- According to the CDC, hard plastic face shields should not be a substitute for cloth or medical masks.
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