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Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that when it comes to wearing two masks to protect against the coronavirus, it “makes sense” that more than one layer of masking is more effective.
There is no specific research on the effectiveness of face coatings against newer variants of the virus, including the UK’s most transmissible variant which has been detected in at least 22 states in the US.
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A mask “is a physical cover to prevent droplets,” Fauci said Monday on NBC’s “TODAY” show. “So if you have a physical coating with one layer you put on another, it makes sense that that’s probably more efficient.”
Asked at a White House briefing last week whether the new variant would make masks less effective, he said that on the contrary, variants are “the reason why you should absolutely wear a mask.”
Dr Marybeth Sexton, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, agrees with Fauci’s point of view.
The new variants “may cause people with the virus to have more virus in their nose, in their mouth, so that when they breathe, speak, cough or sing, they can release more virus particles into the body. environment than the average person, ”she said.
But, added Sexton, “it shouldn’t be a huge problem if everyone is wearing a mask.”
If worn correctly, face coverings should help prevent the spread of any respiratory virus, regardless of the variant.
“If it wasn’t clearly evident six months ago, it surely is now,” said Cameron Wolfe, infectious disease expert and associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
Which mask should you wear?
The key is to find a balance between comfort and efficiency.
“If you put on three or four masks it will filter better because it’s more layers of fabric,” said Dr. Scott Segal, president of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. . “But you’ll take it off because it’s uncomfortable.”
Segal has studied the tissues covering the face for much of the past year in response to the pandemic. Overall, he said, medical grade 3-layer surgical masks tend to provide the best protection for the average individual.
For those who opt for sheet masks, Segal recommends “two layers of high quality cotton with a relatively high thread count”.
The acceptance of face covers has come a long way in the past year. Americans are using them more and more as a way to make fashion statements or show their love for their favorite sports teams.
As a result, the mask manufacturing industry has exploded with little oversight. There is no standardized tool – like one that equates to a Nutrition Facts label on foods – for consumers looking to assess mask quality.
Technically, the Food and Drug Administration regulates masks, including fabric face coverings, but only when they are marketed specifically for “medical purposes.” Most companies don’t explicitly advertise their products as such (in fact, many say their masks are not for medical use), prompting consumers to decide which one offers the most protection.
The N95 reference mask is not recommended for the average person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and should instead be reserved for medical professionals.
“You could have a really good N95 mask, but let’s say someone isn’t wearing it correctly or only wears it 50% of the time,” said Dr. Leana Wen, emergency physician and former Baltimore health commissioner. “I would prefer someone to wear a surgical mask or a sheet mask 100% of the time, correctly and consistently.”
Last year, the FDA cleared the Chinese version of N95, called KN95, for emergency use. However, counterfeit versions of KN95 have flooded the market. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is part of the CDC, has a detailed and visual list of counterfeit brands.
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An easy way to test fabric masks at home is to hold them up to the light. If the light shines between the individual fibers of the tissue, it probably means that viral particles can pass through, too, 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 can also be an effective way to filter out viral particles. This can be added to masks that have an opening in the middle so that users can insert an additional filter.
Segal did not recommend using industrial-grade coffee filters or vacuum filters, citing a lack of evidence that they work well to filter virus particles appropriately. Other filters, such as PM2.5 filters, do not block viral particles, but can be counted as an extra layer in a mask.
Whatever type of mask you use, the most important thing is to wear it correctly.
“I worry more about people wearing chin masks, not covering their mouths and noses, than I am about the makeup of the mask,” said Dr Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Former Interim Director. of the CDC.
Indeed, “the best quality mask is frankly the one that you wear the right way for the longest time when interacting with other people,” said Wolfe of Duke University.
Face coverings should extend from the top of the nose to the chin with no gaps on the sides.
“If your nose sticks out, it’s totally unnecessary,” Segal said.
Other tips include:
- Avoid masks with a valve. Segal said that while the valve makes breathing easier, it defeats the purpose of wearing a mask because it lets virus particles out, putting others at risk.
- Keep extra masks on hand in case one breaks or gets dirty
- Hard plastic face shields should not replace fabric or medical-grade masks, according to the CDC.
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