SAN ANTONIO – Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, San Antonians are still researching the effectiveness of commonly used face masks, as well as their cost, comfort and practicality.
Dr. Jason Bowling, a hospital epidemiologist with the University Health System, provided the pros and cons of six common coverings and gave tips on best practices when wearing them.
They’re questions that people — especially parents who are sending kids back to school — are asking as masks are being required to help prevent virus transmission, UHS says.
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Masks should be worn regularly, Bowling said, and they need to cover both the nose and mouth.
“If you’re not covering your nose and your mouth, you’re still at risk,” he said. The best way to put on a mask is by touching the loops and not the front of the mask.
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Bowling also said well-fitting masks work better than those that are loose-fitting. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of N95s, surgical masks, bandanas, cloth masks and other commonly used face amouns, including the controversy over neck gaiters.
Neck gaiters
Neck gaiters made national headlines earlier this year after a Duke University study found that the face covering led to an increase in the spread of droplets, which is the most common way COVID-19 is transmitted.
The study used a laser and camera to calculate the number of droplets that came out of someone wearing a face covering.
“When the person had a neck gaiter, they actually saw more droplets in the air when that person was talking,” Bowling said. “The hypothesis is the neck gaiter, actually the fabric, split some of those larger respiratory droplets into smaller respiratory droplets.”
While that seems to be the case, Bowling said there’s no clinical evidence that indicates the neck gaiter would lead to an increased spread of the virus.
“The take-home I get from that is the neck gaiter protects the wearer to a certain extent and is better again than having no mask at all,” Bowling said.
Bowling said the neck gaiter is appropriate for outdoor activities, but that people should not wear it for protection indoors.
Cloth masks
With cloth masks, it’s best to wear one that has at least two layers, Bowling said. Some masks include a pocket to insert a filter, which is also preferable.
Cloth masks are fairly effective at preventing the spread of the virus, but it’s important to wash them regularly.
“You want to wash it periodically to make sure that you’re keeping it clean,” Bowling said.
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Masks with valves
Valves allow air to escape, so the wearer breathes out easier. The person wearing it may be protected from incoming droplets, but the mask does not protect others from the wearer’s droplets.
“If the wearer of the N95 mask with a valve had a COVID-19 infection, for example, they might still be able to transmit that valve,” Bowling said.
Bandanas
While bandanas provide some protection, they are loosely fitting, which means droplets have more room to escape.
They’re not as protective as cloth masks or surgical masks, Bowling said.
The fit allows droplets to leave from the wearer, he says, but having it double folded will help with protection.
“A bandana is better than no mask at all, so certainly they have a role ... but they don’t work quite as well as a nice, well-fitting cloth mask that has two layers of fabric,” he said.
Surgical masks
These masks, which have been around for a long time, protect against large respiratory droplets, Bowling said.
They were invented for surgeons to wear to protect patients, he said.
N95 masks
The mask is specifically used in the healthcare industry because of its reliability, Bowling said.
When using the masks, healthcare workers can be protected by large respiratory droplets from COVID-19 patients as well as smaller droplets patients emanate during aerosol-generated procedures, like being intubated or having an airway procedure.
Those smaller droplets can travel further than larger droplets.
The tradeoff, he says, is that they require fit tests to make sure the seal is appropriate for the wearer, which is why they’re mainly seen in the healthcare industry. And because the seal is tight, that may make it uncomfortable for the wearer.
“Again, you need to have more of a seal when you’re trying to protect from these smaller droplets,” he said.
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