The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that doubling up on masks or tightening the fit of a single mask can drastically cut down on aerosolized transmission by about 95%.
“In the study … well-fitting masks provided the greatest performance both at blocking emitted aerosols and exposure of aerosols,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday. “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.”
The report, published on Wednesday, found that adjusting the fit of masks to lay flat against the face to prevent air leaking out the sides or wearing a second cloth mask over a medical mask can provide the best protection against viral transmission. The study was based on experiments performed on dummies wearing different styles of masks in varying configurations.
“Until vaccine-induced population immunity is achieved, universal masking is a highly effective means to slow the spread of [COVID-19] when combined with other protective measures,” the CDC report said. “Innovative efforts to improve the fit of cloth and medical procedure masks to enhance their performance merit attention.”
A growing number of Biden administration experts have touted the benefits of double-masking as the best means of protection against new highly contagious virus mutations that have begun spreading across the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said in January that doubling up on masks “just makes common sense that it would be more effective.”
