Most of us have been wearing masks since last year, which is a critical step in protecting ourselves and others from spreading the coronavirus. However, there are many different types of masks and not all offer the same level of protection. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that your mask must “fit perfectly” to really protect you. But what exactly does it mean for a mask to fit perfectly? According to the CDC, there are certain ways to determine whether your mask fits correctly and is protecting you from COVID. Read on to find out if your mask is working and for more information on mask safety, if you see this on your mask, the FDA says to put it on immediately.
The CDC says that you should pay attention to how the air flows from your mask.
Masks are designed to filter air through the material, as this helps to retain potentially contaminated air droplets. The CDC says there are two air tests you can do to make sure your mask is fitted correctly. First, you need to confirm that you cannot feel the air “flowing from the area near your eyes or the sides of the mask”. If you don’t see any air leakage around the mask, check for hot air coming out of the front of the mask, which means it fits well. According to the CDC, it is a good sign if you also “can see the mask material moving in and out with each breath”. And to find out more ways to stay healthy, if you wear the mask like that, you won’t have “maximum protection”.
You should also check for any gaps in the mask.
According to the CDC, gaps in the mask are what “can allow air with respiratory droplets to leak in and out around the edges of the mask”. Your mask should fit snugly over your nose, mouth and chin. To check for gaps, cup your hands around the outer edges of the mask to see if you notice any large gaps or feel the air seeping into your hands through smaller gaps. And for more masks to be avoided, this type of face mask is “unacceptable”, warns the Mayo Clinic.
There are certain ways to help adjust the mask better.
However, you don’t need to automatically throw away a mask that doesn’t fit properly. According to the CDC, there are two tools that can help you better fit your mask: mask adapters and suspenders. Placing any of these devices over a disposable or cloth mask can “prevent air from leaking over the edges of the mask,” says the CDC. If you’re wearing an ear mask, you can also improve your fit by up to 20 percent by knotting and folding your ears, according to Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, director of Infection Prevention at UNC Hospitals. And for the most up-to-date information, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
You should also check that the mask has enough layers.
A well-fitting mask should also have enough layers to protect you. The CDC currently recommends masks with two or three layers and does not recommend masks with only one layer. You can choose a fabric mask with multiple layers of fabric or layer your masks if you don’t have a single mask with enough layers.
According to the CDC, the best way to layer is to use a disposable mask under a cloth mask, since a cloth mask “should push the edges of the inner mask against your face”. You should not, however, combine a KN95 mask with any other mask or use two disposable masks as a layer, as they “are not designed to fit well and using more than one will not improve the fit,” says the CDC . And for more news about coronavirus, this is where you’re most likely to get COVID, says the new study.