The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director, Rochelle Walensky, has clarified that new mask recommendations “do not change the specific recommendations about who should wear a mask or when they should wear one,” but instead “provide new information on why wearing a well-fitting mask is so important.”
Weeks after the one-year official anniversary of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, the CDC introduced new guidelines on Wednesday recommending those in the US make sure their face mask fits snugly and has multiple layers. In some cases, a second face mask may be advised.
The CDC release emphasized that one should only layer up by wearing a “cloth mask that has multiple layers of fabric” or by donning “one disposable mask underneath a cloth mask.”
According to the CDC, one should not “combine two disposable masks,” as they are “not designed to fit tightly and wearing more than one will not improve fit.” Furthermore, one should not combine a KN95 mask with any other mask.
KN95 Face Mask
Health officials, like Dr. Stuart Cohen, a chief of infectious diseases and director of hospital epidemiology and infection control at UC Davis, also point out that some cloth masks can be enhanced by a “particulate filter.”
The CDC has also published findings from two recent studies that highlight “the importance of good fit to maximize mask performance” and “more effectively slow the spread of COVID-19.”
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.
The report concluded by highlighting that “continued innovative efforts to improve the fit of cloth and medical procedure masks to enhance their performance merit attention.”
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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