The big mask debate of 2020 continues – this time it is not about wearing one or not (experts agree that they are vital), but whether certain still provide protection. Last week, fans of the neck brace, a tube that is preferred by rounds, were hit when a study from Duke University seemed to suggest that one type of gaiter was ineffective, and things may be less to make.
But in the wake of experts’ call to leave the gaiter altogether, the authors of the Duke study came forward to clarify that the research may have been taken out of context and was never intended to divert individuals from it. wearing neck gaiters. “Our intention was not to say that this mask does not work, or never use neck holes,” said co-author Martin Fischer, an associate professor at Duke, the New York Times.
Those are neck gauzes still worth wearing? While much more research is needed to draw all the sweeping conclusions about active wear, a new study from Virginia Tech this week revealed that certain types of gaiters can actually provide equal protection for a well-constructed canvas mask – and that can wear two walkers at once deliver even more.
Renowned aerosol expert Linsey Marr led the study, along with Virginia Tech graduate student Jin Pan. Together, they test two different neck gassers with foam mannequins, a medical nebulizer and a spray bottle with a solution that mimics saliva. The first mask was made by Canadian company Chaos and made from 100 percent polyester (and similar in makeup when sold under the brand name Buff). The second gaiter came from Colorado-based company Locale Outdoor (formerly Cirque Mountain) and was made of 87 percent polyester and 13 percent elastane (also called spandex or lycra).
Some neck gaiters can be just as effective as dust masks
Based on the test, both masks proved to be “100 percent efficient” when containing large droplets (more than 20 micrometers), and prevented them from reaching a foam towel about 12 inches away. The percentage decreased as the drops got smaller, with the gaiters avoiding 80 to 90 percent of 5-micrometer drops and about 50 percent protection against 1-micrometer (or 0.000039-inch) drops.
Although none of the gaiter was particularly powerful against the smallest drops (0.5 micrometers or less), when the Chaos neck gaiter was doubled, it delivered ’90 percent efficiency across all [droplet] measure measurements ”- even more than some dust masks. The authors provided a comparative graph showing that a “no-sew mask” – as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – provided similar protection as a single gaiter, and less than two gaits.
The results led Marr and Pan to conclude that the two neck guests studied “provide similar performance as other canvas masks.” Marr, who declined the opportunity to comment, wrote in her tweet that she was “happy” with the results and called on more aerosol experts to similar studies.
However, there is not enough research to definitively say that they all help
Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist for infection at George Mason University, says both gaiter studies are valuable. The initial Duke study is a great place to start, as we do not have much information about the effectiveness of masks outside of surgical and N95 respirators, but in the end it is very limited and should actually be seen as a trigger for more studies needed, ”Popescu tells Yahoo Life. The secondary study, by the team at Virginia Tech, addresses this whole issue and provides some important information, but I really think what this repeats is that we need to have more data and research on face covering, including a range of materials, but also face shields – all in terms of source control and protection for the person wearing it. ”
The need for more research is also what struck Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, on the gait debate. “In general, I think this underscores the fact that not all masks are the same, and that you do not wear a mask to control a box,” says Adalja. ‘I think what is needed is more research into the effectiveness of masks that people wear in daily life. And I think the more research we do, the better the guidance can be. ”
From now on, Adalja would not recommend carrying hostages. “I would probably stay away from the gaiters as a mask of choice, because we have at least some evidence that some do not necessarily work,” says Adalja. “Until we get more data, I would probably not recommend using gaiter.” Instead, he recommends either a three-layer cloth mask as a surgical mask (which is available at places like CVS and Walgreens), or a face screen, which is available in many places online.
While the brands do not endorse the gaiters as COVID-19 protection, experts say they can be better than no mask
In a statement to Yahoo Life, a spokesman for Chaos, one of the gait brands, stated that the company “has never made any claims or statements that these … were worn as PPE” and states instead that they “are only worn “a base layer option to cover the mouth / nose. Locale Outdoor had not responded to Yahoo Life’s request for comment at the time of publication, but Buff, cited as a “similar” brand, shared a cautionary statement on its website about the gaiters.
“Head and neck clothing protects against many of the elements of nature. While our multifunctional headwear products cover the entire front (nose, mouth, chin, and neck), they are not scientifically proven by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent you from: (1) a virus / disease / disease or (2) passing on a virus / disease / disease to someone else, ”the statement reads.
Dr. Dara Kass, medical associate at Yahoo Life, says she is less concerned about the effectiveness of neck hostages and more about people who continue to actually wear a face mask. “People are looking for a lot of certainty about this virus and that includes things like mask-wearing and neck-dressing,” says Kass. “We do not have perfect data on the protection of all types of face covering, but what we do know is that your face is better than not covering it.”
Kass does not want individuals who prefer necks to be discouraged by the news and decide not to wear anything. ‘It’s important to cover your face – with a mask, if possible. But if not, it’s better to cover your face than not – even with a neck gear, “Kass claims.” A lot of people look to us to be wrong, to prove that nothing we say is right. That this studies risk, without context, the risk that we are distracted from the bigger picture, that is: covering your face when you are near someone you do not know protects them from you and you from them. “Wear a mask. If you choose to wear a neck brace instead of a mask, know that it’s probably not that effective – but it’s better than nothing.”
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow together to https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised remain the most at risk. If you have any questions, please refer to the GGD‘s and WHO’s resource guides.
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