See if you can fit that double mask, if you want it to work against Covid, the study says

See if you can fit that double mask, if you want it to work against Covid, the study says

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According to author Emily Sickbert-Bennett, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The study was published Friday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“We have found that wearing two loose-fitting masks offers the filtration advantage that one, fitting … mask will have,” Sickbert-Bennett said in a statement.

“The best form of double masking is when you and the person you are dealing with each wear a very cozy mask,” she said.

Usually, double masking involves placing a disposable surgical or medical grade mask under a cloth mask.

A man wearing a double mask while walking in Times Square in New York.
Disposable surgical masks are made from three layers of non-woven material that are usually made of plastic. The colored top layer of fabric is made of medical grade spunbond polypropylene, which is a resin polymer that binds heat in a web-like structure. Surgical masks are made with nose wires that can be used to better fit the mask on the face (and to protect your glasses from fog).
You can better fit a disposable mask, according to the CDC, by tying the ruffles where it joins the edge of the mask, and then folding and unfolding the unnecessary material under the edges. The CDC has a video here to show you how.
If you choose a cloth mask, it should be according to the studies of 2- or 3-layer cloth, with a dense fabric. Use the light test to check the weave: if you can easily see the outline of the different fibers if you keep the mask light, it is probably not effective.
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Choose cloth masks with nasal threads, says the CDC, and then bend the nasal thread over your nose to fit close to your face.

Place both masks over the bridge of the nose, under the chin and rinse on the face and rest next to the skin. “The cloth mask should press the edges of the disposable mask against your face,” says the CDC.

An important note: do not make two disposable masks low. It is not ‘designed to fit snugly and wearing more than one will not improve’, says the CDC.

In addition, you should not double a KN95-type mask, warns the CDC. KN95 masks are not certified by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, but some manufacturers of KN95 masks have obtained permission for emergency use for use in health care establishments in the USA.

Check the fit

Here’s how to check if your mask fits well, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Tie your hands against your face around the outside of the mask.
  • Inhale and exhale to see if any air is flowing from the area near your eyes or from the sides of the mask.
  • If the mask fits well, you will feel warm air coming through the front of the mask and you can see the mask material moving in and out with each breath.
  • Remember, none of this works if you take off your mask to expose your nose. Stay fully masked at all times.

The CDC suggests that men shave their beards or at least trim their beards. “Masks designed for people with beards are being evaluated and information will be provided when available,” the CDC said.

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If you have trouble fitting, the CDC suggests fitting a mask, or brace, to prevent air from leaking around the edges of the mask.

A mask fitting is a small, frame-like device that is usually made of solid or elastic plastic. It is placed over a mask and fastened to the face with headbands or earmuffs. These appliances are reusable, so you should clean them thoroughly after each use.

Used properly, mask filters can increase the protection of aerosols in the size most important for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, the CDC said.
Also, make sure you clean and dispose of your masks properly. Surgical masks are used only once, and if they are dirty, the mask must be carefully discarded and replaced, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
The CDC recommends that dirty dust masks be stored in sealed plastic bags until you can wash them.

“Wash wet or dirty masks as soon as possible to prevent mold. Wet masks can be difficult to breathe through and are less effective than dry masks,” says the CDC.

Dry your mask completely in a hot or warm dryer, says the CDC, or by hanging it “in direct sunlight to dry completely. If you can not hang it in direct sunlight, hang it or lay it down” flat and let it dry completely. “

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