Discovery of a neck brace could spread COVID-19 more than no mask at all, study finds

SAN ANTONIO – Because face masks become an essential part of daily life during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers say some options may be counterproductive.

Researchers at Duke University on Friday published a study focusing on commonly available face masks and coatings, and how effective they are at protecting people from infection.

They found cotton masks have a strong effect, but bandanas, not so much. With neck fleece, like gaiter-type neck coverings, those can be as ineffective as not wearing a mask at all, or worse.

“We notice that talking through some masks (especially the neck fleece) seems to disperse the largest droplets into a multitude of smaller droplets, which explains the apparent increase in droplet count relative to no mask in that case,” the study in Science Advances journal states.

“Considering that smaller particles carry air longer than large droplets (larger droplets sag faster), the use of such a mask can be counterproductive.”

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Researchers tested 14 different covers, including bandanas and surgical, knit, cleft N95, fitted N95, cotton and fleece masks. Each option was tested 10 times.

Mask wearers spoke in the direction of a laser beam in a dark closet. Every drop propagated by the laser beam scattered light that was captured by a camera from a telephone, the study says. Drops were counted in a computer algorithm.

The drop transmission ranged from below 0.1% with a fit N95 mask to 110% with a fleece mask, the study says.

Surgical, cotton-polypropylene-cotton and 2-layer polypropylene pre-masks follow custom N95s as the most effective.

Experts say that while the experiment is simple, there are limitations.

“Variations of subject matter are to be expected, for example, due to differences in physiology, mask fit, head position, speech pattern, and so on,” the study states.

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The co-founder of one manufacturer of gaiter, Vapor Apparel, told The Washington Post that the option for coverage for faces should not be completely waived.

“Not all gaiters are created equal,” said Chris Bernat of Vapor Apparel. “There is a segment of this category that is of a much higher quality that is made for layers.”

The study found bandanas and knit masks were of the least effective.

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