Coronavirus: medical masks best, cotton good, bandanas bad, study shows
- Researchers rank 14 types of commonly available face coverings for how well they reduce spread of Covid-19
- Bandanas cut droplets by only 50 per cent, while neck fleeces actually increase amount of spray
Health experts have determined that face coverings are a vital tool in reducing the spread of Covid-19 – but little research has been done into how different kinds of masks compare.
A new study has ranked 14 types of commonly available mask, finding that medical masks offer significantly more protection against droplet spread than cotton alternatives – while bandanas and balaclavas do not do much at all.
The findings have public policy implications, particularly in the United States where authorities have encouraged the public to use textile masks and leave the medical products to health care workers because they are in short supply.
“We need to scale up surgical mask production and distribution,” tweeted Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention under President Barack Obama, in response to the study that appeared in Science Advances.
02:06
‘Ramen’ face mask is Japanese artist’s answer to glasses fogging up from pandemic protection
Masks are important because some 30-40 per cent of people who are infected may not show symptoms but still unwittingly spread the virus when they cough, sneeze or just talk.