The masks have proven to be dramatically effective in delaying the spread of the coronavirus. But is a cloth mask enough? Should we wear two masks? And what about medical-grade N95 facial covers?
Although transmission of the virus has declined sharply in Los Angeles County, the risk of spreading the disease remains high – and the presence of potentially more contagious new variants only increases the danger.
Cloth masks
There has been some debate about whether fabric masks offer sufficient protection. Experts say they are definitely better than not wearing a mask, but there may be better options.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that people wear masks with two or more layers of breathable tissue.
If you are using a cloth mask, the CDC recommends looking for these qualities:
- Heavily woven fabrics such as cotton and cotton blends
- Breathable material
- Two or three layers of fabric
The least effective types of masks are:
- Made of loose fabrics, like a loose mesh
- Made of hard-to-breathe material (like plastic or leather)
- Those with a single layer
Avoid these:
- Masks made of fabrics that make breathing difficult, such as vinyl
- Masks with exhalation valves or openings, which allow virus particles to escape
Double masks
Wearing two masks is becoming a more widespread practice.
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted during a meeting on Wednesday that “you will see a lot more people now who are actually wearing a double mask”
She said it was “practical, kind of thoughtful” to add “an additional layer between her respiratory droplets and the rest of the world”.
One way to use the double mask is to put on a medical-grade mask first and then cover it with a facial cloth, said Ferrer.
During an appearance on this week’s “Today” program, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease specialist, said: “If you have physical coverage with one layer, you put another layer on it, it makes sense that it’s probably it would be more effective.
“That’s the reason,” he said, “you see people wearing a double mask or making a version of an N95.”
A scientific advisory group from LA County is examining data on whether double masking is effective and in what settings.
KN95 against N95
Another option is the KN95 mask, which is medical grade, but manufactured according to Chinese specifications. They are probably more effective than facial cloth covers, said Ferrer.
An advantage of KN95 masks is that they can be easier to use for the public than the gold standard respiratory mask used by medical professionals in the USA, the N95 mask.
While N95 masks are very effective, they need to be specially tailored to the user to maximize their effectiveness, said Ferrer.
In addition, a run with N95 masks can cause a shortage of supplies for healthcare professionals. Ferrer said the county’s scientific advisory group needed to revise the government’s expert occupational health and safety guidelines on masks and other emerging sciences.
“I would advise people to allow us to complete our review of the literature, the studies and what OSHA is saying about it,” said Ferrer, referring to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Ferrer emphasized, however, that Angelenos needed to follow public health guidelines already in place about wearing masks.
With vaccines still scarce, she said, taking personal measures to contain the transmission is the safest way to improve conditions to the point that the county can reopen additional business and allow more students to return to school.
“If you care about our children, if you care about our small businesses,” she said, “we need you to follow public health guidelines at all times.
“Just because some sectors were reopened does not mean that the risk of transmission has disappeared. There is not. “
Vaccines
Even if you receive the two necessary doses of existing vaccines, it does not mean that you should stop using facial coverage or follow other infection prevention protocols, according to the CDC.
“There is not enough information available to say whether or when the CDC will stop recommending people to wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19,” wrote the agency in its site.
Taking both doses of the vaccines currently available, while extremely effective in protecting you from disease, may not prevent you from becoming an asymptomatic carrier of the virus and infecting others with it, officials say. Further studies are needed to determine this.