While public health experts say that face masks can greatly help to reduce the risk of the coronavirus spreading from person to person, all of the options that Americans have been using to cover their noses and mouths don’t necessarily provide equal levels of protection.
A new study from researchers at Duke University offers an inexpensive method for evaluating how well different kinds of masks work and offers hints as to which ones might be better at stopping the airborne respiratory droplets that can transmit the disease.
The study focuses on an issue—the effectiveness of different types of masks—that is significant for state and local policy makers who, in many cases, are recommending that people wear face coverings when in public places. Many states and local governments have imposed mask requirements, including in recent weeks public officials who had previously resisted these mandates.
If the initial—but very limited—findings from the study are any indication, coverings like bandanas may offer significantly less protection compared to other mask options, and neck gaiters could actually be worse than wearing no mask at all. Surgical masks, on the other hand, along with certain fabric masks made of polypropylene and cotton material, appeared to offer better protections.
But the authors of the study caution that their results for how well different types of masks perform are meant to serve only as a demonstration for how their method for testing can work, rather than providing comprehensive evidence for which masks are s ..
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