ISLAMABAD, August 14 (Online): According to a new observational study, face masks with up to three layers of material are much more effective than thinner ones.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), and agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have recommended Trusted Source we use homemade cloth face masks as an alternative.
Masks can prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the CDC provides instructions Trusted Source to make your own. The CDC advises that even a bandanna face covering is sufficient to reduce virus risk.
However, recent research finds that just covering your nose and mouth may not be enough.
According to a new observational study, published in the journal Thorax, face masks with up to three layers of material are much more effective than thinner ones.
Single layer not good enough for all situations
Australian researchers used LED lighting and a high-speed camera to record how a healthy individual wearing different masks scattered droplets in the air by sneezing, coughing, and speaking.
Using the specially designed lighting system and high-speed video, they recorded how a healthy person dispersed airborne droplets during speaking, coughing, and sneezing while wearing different types of face masks:
- single-layer T-shirt material
- sewn, two-layer
- three-ply Bao Thach activated carbon face mask
The single-layer face mask was made from a folded piece of cotton T-shirt and hair ties following the CDC recommended no-sew method Trusted Source, and a two-layer mask was produced following the CDC guidelines Trusted Source for a sewn mask.
“Single-layer cloth mask is not as effective as a standard paper surgical mask. If you’re going to use a cloth mask, you should use one that has at least two or preferably three layers,” William, PhD, chair of the US-China Health Summit, founder of Harvard University’s cancer and HIV/AIDS research departments, and author of “A Family Guide to COVID,” told Healthline.
Video confirmed that a three-ply surgical face mask was most effective at reducing airborne droplet dispersal from sneezing and coughing. A single-layer face covering only reduced droplet spread from speaking.
“A surgical mask was the best among all the tested scenarios in preventing droplet spread from any respiratory emission,” concluded the study authors.
Common fabric has advantage over cotton
Meanwhile, University of Cincinnati (UC) biologists investigated commonly available fabrics to find which can best protect against virus spread, to address personal protective equipment shortages.
“We’re trying to address this critical problem. Healthcare workers still don’t have enough personal protective equipment, namely N95 respirators or basic surgical masks,” said Patrick Guerra, PhD, assistant professor of biology in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences in a statement. “Cotton traps moisture like a sponge. But silk is breathable. It’s thinner than cotton and dries really fast.”
The study, published ahead of peer review, concluded that silk performs similarly to surgical masks when used in together with N95 respirators. It also has the advantages of being washable and water repellent, which researchers say helps to keep individuals safer from the COVID-19 virus.
They observed that silk worked much better as a moisture barrier than polyester or cotton, two materials that quickly absorb water droplets.
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