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Do you have to wear two masks?
This story has been updated to reflect new information from the CDC. It was originally published on January 22, 2021. By this time, I would never leave the house without a face mask. I even keep extras in my car, and at home I have a wide variety of covers in different patterns and colors. Nevertheless, I never considered doubling two masks at once – until I watched the presidential inauguration on January 20th. Like me, you may have seen several contestants and keynote speakers – including the poet Amanda Gorman – who neither wear two masks. The first layer was often a white mask (which looked like it was disposable), and the top layer was a cloth cover. Was it a fashion statement? Extra protection against what looked like on a cold winter day? Or should we strengthen our mask game with new, potentially more contagious strains of COVID-19? Some countries are changing their masking requirements in order to combat the new COVID-19 variant, although they do not explicitly recommend double masking. Germany now demands that people wear medical face masks (such as N95s or surgical masks) on public transportation or in grocery stores, reports The Washington Post. France followed suit and instructed people to wear masks or dust masks with ‘Category 1’ specifications, which according to CNN block at least 90% of particles in public places. This means that many cloth masks will not cut it in these countries. “We do not question the masks used so far,” Daniel Camus, a member of the High Council for Public Health in France, told the French broadcaster. “But because we have no new weapons against the new tribes, we can improve the weapons we already have.” To be clear: No one is saying that cloth mask does not work at all. They do offer significant protection against the spread of COVID-19. And in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that “people wear masks in public settings, at events and gatherings, and wherever they will be with other people.” But on February 10, the CDC updated their website with new recommendations for improving the effectiveness of your face mask, and the update becomes double-masking. The agency recommends using a cloth mask with multiple layers of material or wearing a disposable mask with a cloth mask on top. The CDC’s update focuses heavily on fit: the agency says the second cloth mask should press the edges of the inner disposable mask against your face to provide better protection. What not to do, the CDC recommends doubling discard masks (this will not improve the fit), or combining KN95 masks with any other mask. Abisola Olulade, MD, a San Diego family doctor, says doubling up can be a smart strategy if your favorite cloth mask has one coat or if the cloth gets thin (because you’ve washed it a lot already). . To comply with these new CDC guidelines, wear a disposable mask under the cloth mask, then you will be ready. As long as wearing the additional layer does not affect your breathing ability or fits painfully tight, doubling can provide the necessary protection – especially if you are in any closed areas where social distance may not be possible, such as taxis, grocery stores, or hair salons. , says Dr. Olulade. But when she spoke to Refinery29, she said she would tentatively recommend wearing a single well-fitting, two- or three-layer mask approved by the CDC rather than wearing two-layer, single-layer or non-approved masks. Nothing worthwhile: unlike France or Germany, the CDC does not recommend that everyone wear masks in public – for good reason. ‘Healthcare workers have a higher risk of exposure and they have more frequent exposure, which is why the guidance you take is [medical-grade masks] for people in healthcare, because if people wear surgical masks, it can restrict access to PBM, ”explains Olulade. No matter how many masks you wear, it is still important to distance yourself socially from others, wash your hands regularly and stay at home and avoid public places as much as possible. We will not wear masks forever – but we will wear them much longer if we do not take the precautions we know work. As you can see? How about even more R29 goodness, here? 10 face masks that will not dull your glasses How Biden intends to use the Defense Production Act These pandemic activities are no longer safe