The CDC Officially Says Doing This Provides More Protection Against COVID-19
Wearing a face mask has become the new normal throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but some added protection might become more common following a new recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A new study released by the CDC on Wednesday shows that double-masking is more effective than a single mask in preventing the spread of COVID-19, but there is a way to do it right.
Editor's Choice: Double-Masking Might Become The New Normal
The data in this report underscore the finding that good fit can increase overall mask efficiency.
CDC
In order to make double-masking efficient, the CDC recommends wearing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask.
This method both adds an extra layer of protection and greatly improves the fit, which prevents any leakage from the sides of the mask according to the study.
The experiment found that a surgical mask blocked 42% of particals from a simulated cough while a normal cloth mask blocked 44%, but when combined, the double-mask method blocked nearly 93% of cough particles.
The nation's leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke about the method in January, saying that it is "common sense" when asked if it would provide more protection, but he stated he would wait until the CDC concludes its study before making an official recommendation.