This photo shows a woman with two face masks, a mask over a surgical mask, in Arlington, Virginia, on February 8, 2021.
Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images
Wearing a dressing mask over a surgical mask can help significantly reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC researchers said they studied the effectiveness of different masking methods through laboratory experiments in which they placed two artificial heads 6 feet apart and measured how many coronavirus-sized grains were released by one introduced to the other.
The researchers found that wearing just one mask, either surgical or tissue, prevented just over 40% of rashes. But a cloth mask on top of a surgical mask prevented about 80% of granules. When there were two masks on both ends of the experiment, more than 95% of the grains were blocked, the researchers found.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the findings of the study “emphasize the importance of wearing a mask properly and ensuring it fits snugly and gently over your nose and toes. mouth. “
Walensky said the group is not changing their initial proposal that everyone two years and older be masked when surrounded by people who do not live in their home. However, the agency will update the guidance on its website “to provide new options on how they can develop a mask,” Walensky said.
Those options include wearing a mask with a designable nose cord or wearing a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask, she said. She said there are new devices called mask fitters that help sharpen a cloth or medical mask and create a tighter fit.
“Here’s the bottom line: masks work and work best when well-equipped and worn properly,” she said.
The updated leadership is the latest attempt by President Joe Biden’s administration to provide clear guidance to Americans. Walensky has asked CDC scientists to review all guidelines from the organization issued under the previous administration to ensure it is clear and consistent.
The issue of combing became controversial last year as health officials urged Americans to wear masks in public even when President Donald Trump refused for months to appear in public with a mask.
The updated guidance comes at an important time in the U.S. revolution. Cases, hospitals and deaths are falling, but health officials warn that new, more infectious changes threaten to reverse the country ‘s progress and cause another rise. Reducing the spread of the virus, and the new variables, are as important as ever when the country ‘s races are vaccinating the public, but it is hampered by a limited supply, health officials say.
Biden has urged Americans to wear masks in public for his 100 days in office to help reduce the spread of the virus. As of Feb. 1, 14 14 states and the District of Columbia were all with universal mask orders, the CDC said. Biden has also worn a mask on all federal property and on domestic and international travel, including public buses, trains and planes.