What’s Safer Than Wearing One Mask From CovCare? Wearing Two!

With a more transmittable COVID strain arriving from the UK to the US in recent weeks, experts now say it is time to "double down" on mask wearing.

Late last month, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, expressed that double masking makes sense and is likely to offer more protection against COVID-19. Now with new research indicating wearing two masks can reduce the risk of Coronavirus exposure by more than 95%, the Centers for Disease Control is offering insight on their study that found wearing two masks are better than wearing just one in the fight against the Coronavirus.

While universal masking is recommended to slow the spread of COVID-19, both cloth masks and medical procedure masks substantially reduce exposure from infected wearers and reduce exposure of uninfected wearers.

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.

According to the CDC, universal masking is highly recommended to slow the spread of COVID-19 with cloth masks and medical procedure masks substantially reducing exposure from infected wearers and reducing exposure of uninfected wearers. By conducting experiments, the CDC determined two ways to improve the fit of medical masks by fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask. The result substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure, with the experiment improving both the fit and maximum performance of the duel masks. For the CDC, this is a simple way to effectively slow the spread of COVID-19.

Thankfully, CovCare is once again able to help consumers remain safe and protected. Not only does CovCare have 3-Ply masks which are extremely effective for halting transmission, but the medical supplies leader and has the largest selection of N95 respirators, the gold standard of protective face masks. The most effective and comfortable way to double mask is to wear an N95 respirator with a 3-Ply mask over it.

"In the study, wearing any type of mask performed significantly better than not wearing a mask," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky from the White House COVID-19 Response Team on Wednesday.

"And well-fitting masks provided the greatest performance at both blocking emitted aerosols and exposure of aerosols to the receiver. In the breathing experiment, having both the source and the receiver wear masks modified to fit better reduced the receiver's exposure by more than 95%, compared to no mask at all.”

Furthermore, the CDC also detailed its step-by-step list for improving the following recommendations for improving the fit of masks and limiting the spread of COVID-19:

• Choosing a mask with a nose wire, which prevents air from leaking out along the top

• Using a mask fitter or brace over a disposable or cloth mask, to prevent air from leaking out. These small, reusable devices cinch a cloth or medical mask to create a tighter fit and improve mask performance.

• Make sure your mask fits snugly over your nose, mouth and chin: "If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath," the CDC says.

• Add layers of material – either by using cloth mask with multiple layers of fabric or by wearing a disposable mask under a cloth mask.

The CDC also emphasized that doubling-up on masks isn’t recommended for all types of face masks. Wearing two disposable masks remains ineffective, while layering another mask on top of a KN95 masks is also not recommended (the KN95 should be worn individually).