(GNB Desk): The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report on Wednesday confirming what many experts had already suggested: wearing two masks prevents the spread of COVID-19 more than wearing just one mask. The CDC also reports that a tight mask fit is important and significantly protects the wearer from contracting COVID-19.
In a report released Wednesday morning, officials said people who wore cloth masks over medical procedure masks were able to block 92.5% of particles released from a simulated cough. A single medical procedure mask on its own blocked only 42% of particles.
CDC conducted experiments to assess two ways of improving the fit of medical procedure masks: fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, and knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face. Each modification substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure.
These experiments highlight the importance of good fit to maximize mask performance. There are multiple simple ways to achieve better fit of masks to more effectively slow the spread of COVID-19, CDC says.
In lab tests with dummies, exposure to potentially infectious aerosols decreased by about 95% when they both wore tightly fitted masks, a new study said.
During a White House coronavirus task force briefing, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced that a simulated breathing experiment showed that double-masking with a surgical mask and a cloth mask provided significantly more protection from Covid-19.
The report came after officials conducted experiments last month in laboratory settings to compare the efficacy of double-masking, single-masking and wearing a single mask with knotted ear loops.
Read the full report from the CDC
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