This is a rapidly developing situation. For the most up-to-date information, check with your local health authorities and resources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly. You can find a directory of state health departments here. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
© David Jaewon Oh
Keep yourself and others safe with a simple adjustment.
- Current CDC recommendations on effective mask use include wearing a multi-layered mask or using a disposable mask under a cloth mask. The CDC also states that you should choose a mask or masks that fit your face perfectly.
- The new recommendations come from new research and experts emphasize that a well-fitting, high-quality mask, like the KN95, works as well as two well-fitting fabric masks.
- Do you want to ensure that your mask has the best fit possible? A new video from UNC Health shows a trick that can improve the fit of a mask with ear loops.
It has been almost a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, which has led the United States to implement widespread shutdowns and masked orders. While companies are opening up again, the masks are here to stay in the near future. Masks not only keep other people safe, but also help to keep you healthy.
The CDC recommends using a multi-layered mask or two masks – a disposable mask under a fitted cloth mask – and maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others who are not in your immediate home in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases, such as the flu.
A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine have found that slightly modifying an ear mask, giving it a tighter fit on the face, can help it become up to 20% more effective. The better the fit, the better the filtration.
UNC Health posted a video on its YouTube channel with Emily Sickbert-Bennett, Ph.D., director of Infection Prevention at UNC Hospitals, showing this simple trick that can help make ear masks fit more tightly . (Sickbert-Bennett was one of the authors of the recent study on the effectiveness of the mask.)
This technique improves the fit of a surgical mask, according to the CDC. As shown above, simply tie a knot on the mask’s handles where they join the edge of the mask, and then fold and secure the unnecessary material under the edges.
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How Runner world As previously reported, your runs or workouts should be in areas where you can be alone or keep at least six feet between you and others to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. You should also wear a mask or carry a mask with you, in case there is a situation where you find yourself with other people and are unable to maintain social distance.
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