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- Along with social detachment, one of the best protections against COVID-19 is to wear a tight-fitting mask.
- If you only have a single or loose layer mask, it may be wise to use two at once.
- To fold, use a cloth mask over the other or use a cloth mask over a surgical mask.
- This article was reviewed clinically by Aimee Desrosiers, PA-C, MS, MPH, an assistant physician for infectious diseases in Washington, DC.
The CDC strongly recommends (and even determined) the widespread use of a mask in public, saying it is essential to slow the spread of COVID-19. But as more is learned about the pandemic and the transmission of the virus, health officials began to advocate not only wearing one mask, but also two.
The most notable advice for double masking comes from Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, who said it is common sense to think that two masks are better than one. If you watched the 2021 presidential inauguration, you probably saw many examples of double masking, including poetess Amanda Gorman’s combo.
Why double masking can be a smart decision
Experts have long advised that when it comes to masks, more layers are better – as long as you still breathe well. But something important changed in early 2021.
“Are you hearing more about the double masking in the media and health care professionals because new [COVID-19] the variants are more easily transmitted and, with the level of infection we have at the moment, any type of additional protection can be useful, “Edgar Sanchez, MD, an infectious disease physician at Orlando Health, told Insider.
That said, many public health experts are not wearing two masks, as reported by Hilary Brueck to Insider. Although experts claim that double masking can theoretically be useful in general, there are some things that are much more important than duplicating people.
“Getting more people to wear just one mask is more important than getting one person to wear two masks,” said Dr. Sanchez. This may be part of the reason that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have not officially changed their guidelines to recommend double masking.
Second, a well-fitting, multi-layered quality mask is better than using two ill-fitting masks. The mask should fit securely to your nose and fit comfortably on your cheeks and chin, without any slits. If a mask causes your glasses or sunglasses to fog up, this is actually a sign that it does not fit properly and allows the respiratory drops to escape from the top, said Dr. Abe Malkin, founder and medical director of the Concierge MD LA to Insider.
Masks with adjustable nozzles can sometimes help to create a better fit as well, and those with two (or preferably three) layers with tightly woven fabric are better for filtering virus particles. According to the CDC, this means that, when placed against the light, these masks do not let the light through.
Still, wearing two masks I can add protection, and there are some situations where public health experts and infectious disease doctors recommend.
To help, I consulted several doctors on how to make the double mask and the best base layer and top layer masks to do it. I also included some insights on best practices for double masking and how to place them correctly.