Are neck guards really worse than not wearing a mask? No, and here’s why

COVID-19 guidelines are constantly evolving as experts learn more about the new coronavirus, but one recommendation from doctors and the CDC has remained intact: Wearing a face mask can slow the spread of the virus. Until recently, just about any face mask had been found to be useful, as long as it covered your nose and mouth. However, new research from Duke University suggests that neck warmers – the pieces of fabric that act like a sleeve for your face and neck – are much less effective than a traditional face mask.

In the study, researchers tracked the number of particles in a person’s mouth that were released into the air through and around the mask. The results suggest that the neck warmer may actually be worse than not wearing a mask at all. After the study was widely shared, Duke’s research team clarified with The New York Times that the data has been misinterpreted. “Our intention was not to say that this mask doesn’t work or never uses a neck warmer,” said Martin Fischer, PhD, associate research professor at Duke and co-author of the study. In fact, the aim of the study was to test inexpensive technology that would allow mask makers to evaluate their own products.

What else, The New York Times reported that Linsey Marr, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, had conducted his own study of single and double layer neck guards, which found that both particles blocked the escape of the mask, although that the double layer gaiter was more effective. “I recommend neck warmers, and my kids wear neck warmers,” said Dr. Marr, a leading aerosol specialist. The New York Times. “There’s nothing inherent in a neck warmer that should make it worse than a cloth mask. It depends on the fabric and its size.”

To better understand what works – and what doesn’t – in the fight against COVID-19, we spoke to two experts to get their thoughts on these latest developments.

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What makes neck guards less effective than other masks?

David Cutler, MD, a family physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., Told POPSUGAR that more research is needed to better understand the effectiveness of different types of face masks. That being said, it’s widely believed that N95 masks – which should be left with healthcare professionals – are the most effective at blocking the virus. Surgical masks and fabric face masks are acceptable for daily use among the general population, explained Dr. Cutler. Where does that leave the gaiters? “Cloth gaiters are likely to be less effective than a cloth mask that has a paper filter inside to block transmission of the virus,” he said.

As the NOW Part noted, this is in part because multi-layered masks – with or without a filter – seem to offer more protection. Many people wore neck warmers when exercising because of their ease of putting them on and taking them off and because they are usually made with a single layer of porous material that is easier to breathe. However, that’s part of what makes neck warmers problematic: if the fabric is easier to breathe, it’s also more likely that your germs can escape. According to Dr. Cutler, the porous material can “allow germs to drain away” and it can also hold more moisture (like in your spit), “which can support viral activity.”

If you put on and take off the gaiter while you exercise, you are also touching it with potentially dirty hands, which the CDC recommends people avoid doing.

Related: Doctor Explains How To Properly Clean Sheet Masks To Keep Germs Away

Is it still okay to wear a neck warmer?

The most important thing is that you wear something on your mouth and nose. “One thing we do know with some certainty is that if everyone wore a mask, there would be a lot less COVID-19,” said Dr. Cutler. In light of this latest research on neck gaiters, in particular, Dr. Cutler noted that the medium fabric face mask or neck warmer isn’t perfect, but still useful. “The main advantage of masks is that everyone should wear one,” he explained. “We should all accept that the perfect is the enemy of the good.”

That being said, multiple layers of fabric will always be better than one, no matter what type of mask you choose. “The CDC recommends using a mask that traps respiratory droplets and prevents them from being released,” Mike Bell, MD, deputy director of the CDC’s Healthcare Quality Promotion Division, told POPSUGAR . “Use a fabric you can layer (two to three layers) that is washable.” Be sure to wash off the mask after each use.

Likewise, Dr. Bell noted that one of the most important factors of a face mask is that it conforms perfectly to your face, which not all neck warmers do. “The main task of the mask is to prevent the respiratory droplets you produce when you speak, sneeze, cough and raise your voice to sing or scream from spreading into the environment around you, possibly in your mouth or nose. of people who are nearby or are inhaled into the lungs of others, ”Dr. Bell said.

So make sure your mask is snug against your face at all times and keep a safe distance of six feet between yourself and others.