Although we have been wearing masks to protect ourselves as well as the people near us, whenever we are in a public place, is it really enough to stop the spread of coronavirus? In addition to wearing the mask, it is also important to actively follow government guidelines to fight the virus. Nowadays many have been following the method of double masking, that is, by wearing two face masks at the same time, whenever they are stepping outside the house. Layering one layer on top of another is indeed useful and helps in enhanced filtration. As compared with using a single cloth mask or a surgical mask, wearing a double mask has proved to be more protective and it blocks big particles too.
What are the main uses of double masking?
A mask’s material helps to block and filter out the droplets whenever someone near you talks or coughs or sneezes. But what happens when a mask does not fit you properly? Whenever you wear a single mask, you might feel air escaping through the sides and that means that there is some space left for the virus to enter inside your mask. When you wear two masks, the outer mask covers entirely the inner mask, making it much fitter against your skin, which leads to no extra space left for the virus to enter or exit. It is very much important to use a proper mask combination whenever you go for double masking. As per CDC, it is best to wear a surgical mask first and a cloth mask over it. If you use other combinations, then there might be difficulty in breathing or the masks may not fit properly. Neither of the two masks should block your vision, and at the same time, it should cover your nose, mouth, and chin.
Why should we go for double masking?
Adding more layers to your mask will surely help in reducing the number of respiratory droplets and it has been reported from the JAMA Health Forum that wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask helps to block 85.4% of cough particles and the infectious aerosols reduce by 95%. Creating more layers of protection for the droplets is surely one of the best ways to avoid the spread of the virus in the current situation. However, it is not advised to wear two surgical masks or two N95 masks on top of each other. Wearing a single mask is not completely a waste as it does cover your nose and mouth but it just does not fit against your skin properly. Improving the performance of the mask as well as reducing the transmission of the contagious coronavirus is what double masking suggests. Surely it is advised to the public to wear two masks whenever they visit a hospital or any place where they can come in contact with covid positive patients. Double masking must not compromise your comfort but at the same time, it should provide you protection. Also, do not use masks that are rough, soiled, reused, or dirty for double masking.
