1 of 5 | While a variety of masks can help prevent spread of COVID-19, a snug fit is key -- whether wearing one or two masks -- according to new research. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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Wearing two snug, well-fitted face masks can significantly reduce your risk of coronavirus infection, researchers say.
But a good fit is key: The new study found that two ill-fitting cloth masks don't provide as much protection as one snug-fitting surgical mask.
"We've found that wearing two loosely fitted masks will not give you the filtration benefit that one, snug-fitting procedure mask will," said lead author Emily Sickbert-Bennett. She's an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The new findings follow a recent update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends double-masking.
In a series of lab tests, the UNC team assessed the fitted filtration efficiency, or FFE, of a range of masks.
They found that the filtration efficiency differs from person to person, due to each individual's face shape and mask fit.
Without altering the fit, a surgical mask -- also known as a procedure mask -- is between 40% and 60% effective at keeping COVID-19-sized particles out, while a cloth mask is about 40% effective, the study found.
A cloth mask placed over a surgical mask improved the effectiveness by about 20%. Protection was even better when the layering was done with a snug-fitting, sleeve-type mask, such as a gaiter.
Layering cloth masks over surgical masks eliminates gaps and holds the surgical mask closer to the face, consistently covering the nose and mouth, researchers found.
When a surgical mask is worn over a cloth mask, FFE improved by 16%. The findings were published this month in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
"With the current data supporting how effective mask-wearing is at preventing the spread of COVID-19, the best kind of double-masking is when you and the person you are interacting with are each correctly wearing a very snug-fitting mask," Sickbert-Bennett said in a university news release.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on wearing masks.
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January 31, 2020
National Institutes of Health official Dr. Anthony Fauci (C) speaks about the coronavirus during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Alexander Azar (L) announced that the United States is declaring the virus a public health emergency and issued a federal quarantine order of 14 days for 195 Americans. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI |
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