You can start to see more people wearing double masks, and the philosophy behind it is that the layers provide greater filtration and better protection, according to an infectious disease specialist in Maryland.
You can start to see more people wearing double masks, and the philosophy behind it is that the layers provide greater filtration and better protection, according to an infectious disease specialist in Maryland.
“Additional layers provide additional filtration and therefore protection for the mask wearer,” said Dr. Gregory Schrank, an infectious disease physician and associate epidemiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
“From these masks, be they multilayer, multilayer with a filter placed between or several masks – this protection provided by having multiple layers and additional filtering is really what we see as a benefit for the mask user,” said Schrank, who is also assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Schrank emphasized that the masks should fit tightly, with no cracks along the bridge of the nose, cheeks or chin.
“But we want to make sure that the mask is also comfortable for people, so they are more likely to wear it and continue to wear it throughout the day,” he said.
Schrank does not recommend the use of leg warmers, which are usually made of fine fabric and can fall loose on the neck.
“The degree of filtration using this is very low,” he said.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that during cold weather, balaclavas, scarves and ski masks are not a substitute for masks. He recommends wrapping your scarf or wearing a ski or balaclava mask over your mask.
You can find comprehensive guidance on wearing masks on the CDC website.
WTOP contacted the CDC to comment on whether it is in the process of developing mask filtering standards.
Although vaccinations against COVID-19 are underway in Maryland, Virginia and DC, Schrank said the area is unlikely to begin to see an effect on community transmission until a much larger portion of the population is vaccinated.
Citing Israel as an example, Schrank said that a large percentage of the community has been vaccinated, and there is some suggestion that it may be starting to have an impact on transmission.
But the United States still has a long way to go.
“So, until we get to that point, continue with good adherence to masking and physical detachment – and the other guidelines that we have recommended during the pandemic are so important, especially as we see these potentially more transmissible strains appear in different parts of the world,” he said.
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