Durham, NC – How can consumers know how much protection their face coverage really offers? A new study from Duke University seeks to answer this whole question.
The study conducted at Duke will help not only in the Triangle, but across the country.
Fitted N95 masks perform, according to the study, very well by keeping drops inside the mask. But some coverages did not do so well.
“Stay healthy people,” said Department of Chemistry Associate Research Professor Dr. Martin Fischer. He said that every time when wearing a mask and expressing the sentence as researchers recorded drips on each mask.
“We want to make sure you wear a mask that actually works,” Fischer said.
Using a box, a laser, a lens and a mobile camera, the drops were recorded. The N95 fit mask did well when it comes to protection. It sealed drops and prevented them from leaving the mask.
“The mask that stood out the most is the N95, the really fitting N95 mask,” Fischer said.
Fischer also said that surgical masks “did a really good job.”
Despite testing, the surgical mask did not go as well as the N95 because there are some holes in the mask where drops can escape. Researchers found that the two-layer cloth mask does not give drops much room to escape. However, it does not deliver a tight seal like the N95.
“The canvas masks were pretty good,” said Duke Dr. Eric Westman, a physician of internal medicine. “They were pretty good. They blocked most of the particles.”
The bandana face mask did not do well in the study. The researchers said it may look fashionable, but it did very little for protection.
“Because the material is thin, it emits a lot of droplets,” Fischer said. “A bandana has a lot of holes.”
Finally, and perhaps most surprisingly, the neck fleece had released the highest number of drops – more than if no mask was worn. The researchers believe the material breaks larger droplets into smaller particles.
“We put them on, and we saw more drops coming out than without a mask,” Fischer said.
The Duke researchers said the goal is to help you make an informed decision about which mask to use to protect yourself.
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