Wearing two face masks, or double masking, can substantially reduce a person’s exposure to coronavirus particles, according to a new study by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC report is a
first of its kind from the agency, specifically addressing mask-wearing
techniques and their efficacies. The CDC ultimately recommends two ways
to improve how well face masks can protect you:To get more news about
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When two people both exercise either of the above approaches, exposure to viral particles between them is reduced by upwards of 95
percent — more than double as efficient as the 42-to-44-percent
efficiency the CDC saw from single surgical masks and single cloth
masks.
As scientists and doctors identify new Covid-19 variants across the world and in the U.S., some Americans have been asking new questions
about wearing face masks, notably whether they should double mask. In a
recent interview with NBC’s “TODAY” show, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that
when it comes to wearing two masks to protect against the coronavirus,
it "makes common sense" that more than one layer of masking would be
more effective. We consulted medical experts about double masking and
how to approach doing so.
On top of the CDC's new findings and subsequent guidance regarding double masks, interest in the practice had been steadily growing for
some time. Jess Steier, DrPH, co-founder and CEO of healthcare data
analytics company Vital Statistics Consulting, told us questions about
double masking had been circulating lately given news about Covid-19
variants popping up across the world, including in the U.S. Andrea Love,
PhD, a regional manager for Nexcelom Bioscience, added another
potentially motivating factor for the interest: Although there is early
evidence to suggest that the Covid-19 variants are more transmissible,
it's still unclear how they will affect how the virus behaves. Love
co-hosts the topical Unbiased Science Podcast with Steier.
While scientists and doctors don’t have exact answers yet, more highly transmissible variants may mean contracting the virus after
shorter periods of exposure, for one thing. Thus, Love said the
mitigation measures we take need to be more stringent, especially in
regards to wearing face masks since they act as a “physical barrier to
block these respiratory droplets.”
“Masks are not 100-percent effective, so you’re going to stop some droplets but not others,” explained Love. “If we’re trying to increase
the number of droplets we block because the virus variants are more
transmissible, that means we need better mask materials and more
layers.”
More specifically, the CDC correlated different types of masks with efficiencies in blocking particles small enough to be considered “most
important for transmitting SARS-CoV-2.”
How to double mask
Double masking involves wearing two masks, one on top of the other. Some
people opt for a medical-grade mask like an FDA-certified N95, KN95 or
KF94 and layer a reusable cloth face mask on top of it. If you do use a
disposable face, make sure to knot and tuck the mask for a tighter fit.
By eliminating the gap where germs and other contaminants can slip in, a
simple knot-and-tuck can reduce a person’s exposure to particles by
64.5 percent, the CDC reported. An easy way to see if the mask fits
improperly is if cold breath comes out from the sides of the mask or if
your glasses fog up.
If you don’t have access to a medical-grade mask, Love said you can also double up reusable cloth masks — the CDC recommends choosing fabric
with two or more layers of tightly woven cotton, which is both
machine-washable and breathable. “Overall, more layers is going to be
better regardless,” Love noted, “because you’re providing a better
physical barrier for these droplets.”
