From health workers to politicians, double masking is the latest coronavirus trend. In a press release on Wednesday, February 3, the director of the NIAID (Anthony Institute), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), said that double masking can be a common sense approach to the spread of COVID-19 to reduce. He even added that he wears two masks in situations where he cannot distance himself sufficiently socially from others. But does that mean runners should think about wearing two masks when exercising?
According to Fauci, the CDC will update recommendations as more research is completed, but in the meantime this is what you need to know about dual masking, according to David Nieman, Ph.D., health professor at Appalachian State University and director of the Human Performance Lab at North Carolina Research Campus, Brian Labus, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Matt Ferrari Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology at the Eberly College of Science, and ‘ a researcher at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics in Penn State.
Why are people double-masked?
In the first place, there is still a focus on the use of high quality masks that will protect the wearer and others, Ferrari explains. This means that it is important to find a mask with good filter material and a good fit. Your mask should cover your nose and mouth and fit on the face without gaps. (Get more helpful tips on wearing a CDC mask here.)
“Two masks may be the way to do it, but one very good mask, says a KN95, may still be better than two single-layer walkers,” says Ferrari.
In this context, an N95 respirator, the American standard to be reserved for health workers, and the KN95 mask, the China standard, both filter 95 percent of aerosols and protect the wearer better than a single-layer dust mask.
“What we usually talk about with double masking, doubles the dust mask to increase filtration,” says Labus. But the caveat is that both masks should fit properly.
And if you add a less effective dust mask over an N95 or KN95 mask, it does not offer much extra protection. However, medical professionals sometimes do this to extend the life of the masks as PPE has been in short supply.
Best face masks to run
When is double masking needed?
Wearing a well-fitting mask (or two) can be especially important to protect others and yourself if you are in an environment where people are close to each other or breathing heavily, such as a gym.
“If you’re an athlete and going to be with other people indoors, I would double recommend it,” Nieman says.
Currently, the CDC recommends that you wear masks with two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric, and avoid using those intended for health care workers, such as N95 or surgical masks. However, the choice of a KN95 is good because American health workers do not use the mask, Nieman explains.
“It’s getting old and saying so, but if you’ve had the luxury of avoiding settings where you have to double-mask – indoors, poorly ventilated and pressure – then avoiding the settings is better than two, three or four masks,” says Ferrari .
For runners, this may mean avoiding an overcrowded gym and instead choosing to run outside where there is enough space to distance or set up a home gym.
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However, if you can not avoid indoor settings with other individuals (for example, for work or to look after others), double masking can provide extra protection to reduce the risk in high-density indoor settings.
What is the best way to double mask?
“Like with a single mask, it’s about fitting well into your face,” Labus explains. Make sure that you cover your mask or masks from above your nose to below the chin, and that no air escapes around the edges.
“In addition to the extra filter provided by the second mask, [doubling] can also allow the mask to fit your face better and cover any gaps from the first mask, ”says Labus.
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But two bad masks are not necessarily better than one good one. In fact, the health industry has shown that a high-quality, well-fitting mask can be very effective, says Ferrari. And leakage tends to be a problem in masks, so if you do not wear two masks, it will not be effective in protecting others, Nieman says.
What is the best mask to practice?
It all depends on what the masks are made of. Masks such as an N95 or KN95 are designed to filter out smaller particles than a cloth mask and require more effort to breathe through. So, even if you only wear a single high-filter mask, it will probably not work to wear during intense exercise, because once you start sweating, breathing becomes more difficult.
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It also depends on what kind of exercise you are doing. If you pick up weights and do not expect to breathe as you would during careers, a KN95 and cloth mask or two cloth masks can only work well, Nieman says. But once you start sweating and breathing harder, it can become troublesome.
No one recommends finding a mask that is at least double-layered with densely woven material or one that is specially made to practice, such as the Under Armor Sportsmask, which is used in his laboratory when testing.
‘Try to focus on workouts and activities where the mask is not the limiting factor. Outdoors and distance are better for everyone, ”says Ferrari. This may mean that you have to get creative with your workouts if you live in a cold climate or try other socially distant cross-training activities such as Nordic skiing.
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The conclusion: Remember, the CDC has not yet changed their recommendations and still recommends a single dust mask that contains at least two layers. While some are starting to wear two, it’s still good to wear a single mask, Labus says. That second mask can provide extra protection, but wearing any mask is much, much better than not wearing one at all.
‘If you’re close to others or want to run with friends, wear a mask. If you have to do an indoor workout with others in the gym, make sure you have the best filter (machinery) that fits best, ‘says Ferrari.
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