Anonymous
By Van Do–Reynoso, MPH, PhD, Director, Public Health
If you are concerned about the new variants of COVID-19 and want to be better protected against the COVID-19 virus, you may want to double mask. New guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends double masking to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The updated guidance follows the release of new research from the CDC which tested various masks in a lab setting and found evidence that combining a cloth mask over a surgical mask could dramatically reduce both the spread of the virus to others and exposure to the virus oneself.
The study shows that transmission of the virus can be reduced by up to 96.5 percent if both an infected individual and an uninfected individual wear tightly fitted surgical masks or a cloth-and-surgical-mask combo.
According to findings from a CDC study, wearing a cloth mask on top of a surgical mask helps improve the fit of the surgical mask. The closer fitting the mask is to your face, the fewer gaps there are where respiratory droplets carrying the coronavirus can enter your mouth and nose. Because layering masks reduces the porosity of your face covering, it’s also more likely to do a better job of protecting you from those infectious respiratory droplets.
The CDC’s latest guidance on improving mask fit now recommends:
- Choosing a mask with a nose wire, which prevents air from leaking out along the top
- Using a mask fitter or brace over a disposable or cloth mask, to prevent air from leaking out. These small, reusable devices cinch a cloth or medical mask to create a tighter fit and improve mask performance.
- Make sure your mask fits snugly over your nose, mouth and chin: If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath, according to the CDC.
- Add layers of material – either by using cloth mask with multiple layers of fabric or by wearing a disposable mask under a cloth mask.
For more information about local public health orders, guidance, and COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Santa Barbara County, please visit: https://publichealthsbc.org/
HA! I’ll take “things ill never do for $1000” please Alex
Or, you can put a couch cushion over your face…
Just sayin’…
Geez… what’s next. Twenty percent of us are getting vaccinated each month, so (unless you don’t want to) in a few months most of us will have the vaccine. Will life get back to normal or will we be wearing masks and staying away from people even then to protect those that don’t want the vaccine? Can hardly breathe or talk with one mask, and my ICU nurse friend doesn’t wear one unless she has to either, because “I’ve been vaccinated, that’s the point”.
In order to evaluate the potential benefit of masking and double masking, we can start by looking at the effects of masking to date. The latest report from the CDC found that mask orders are associated with around a 1-2% decrease in Covid deaths in a time interval ranging from 20 to 100 days after implementation. So masks possibly contributed to a 2% reduction in the rate of Covid deaths. Assuming 500,000 deaths in the us, that 2% figure would translate to about 10,000 lives. To help quantify the other impacts of masks and lockdowns, the number of drug overdose deaths per year preceding Covid was just under 70,000. The projected rate for the last year is 86,000. That’s an increase of about 16,000. In order to evaluate the cost/benefit of lockdowns, one would need to look at the whole picture. If the isolation and discomfort and unemployment drives more people to to die from drinking, drugs, and suicides than it saves from Covid, then it might be worth reconsidering.
except the vaccines will not be so effective against the varients..in fact, vaccines may only be good for 6 months.
This person has the mask over their eyes apparently. All vaccines approved thus far are effective against the variants.
#overkill
You do know 15 states have no mask mandate and have better numbers than a state recommending two masks right? I clearly made a separation of the statements by saying “as for Covid 19,…”. You attempting to imply I would use a gun against a virus shows you’re not paying attention. There is ZERO data that shows double masking works. There is close to zero data that masking works. Even democrats in Florida are admitting Florida did it right.
Less effective yes, but still very effective. Over 85% effective which is an incredible feat
Thinking that guns protect your family just shows that you don’t pay attention to evidence and data. Epidemiological studies show that a firearm in the house is much more likely to cause injury or death to someone in the household than to serve any useful purpose. Oh, and epidemiological evidence also overwhelmingly shows that masks are hugely beneficial with regard to the virus.
Yeah, no. Just no.
Why stop at 2 masks, why not 3 or 4? Hell, let’s just require dive helmets to go out in public.
Black market guns are cheap and available, no waiting period, no I.D.. There is no shortage of illegal guns in the US and often the citizen is out-gunned by a criminal w/ fully automatic weapons. Gun Laws and Drug Laws create a lucrative black market that guarantees that these problems will never be solved.
Last week the 5 Ha MJ plantation next door (that is in full bud) had midnight visitors. Their security guard fired a warning round and guess what? The four of them high tailed it. With this biz next door, I am armed 24/7. Again, if all drug laws were thrown out, this stuff would not be worth stealing. Thanks “Tricky Dick” for the “War on Drugs”, our losses have been monumental.
Epidemiological studies include 100% accounting of gun in juries because people end up in hospitals, but when you call the cops and tell them that you just ran someone out of your house at gunpoint, they say good work and record nothing. To further make it apples and oranges; you must kill the intruder inside your house to log a “defense” yet anyone injured inside or outside your house is counted as a “liability”. Statistics show…..cow patties.
Here is a link to the CDC’s latest statistical analysis of the effectiveness of masks. The 1-2% reduction of transmission and deaths they have reported seems well below the potential/estimated benefits they were writing about a few months ago. I still remember when they were saying it would all be over in a few weeks of everyone would just wear a mask. Nope, turns out maybe at best the rate of new cases would drop by 2%.
Masks work the same way. If you stack up enough layers, all the air will jet out the sides instead of flowing through the “filter” element. I think the point is that wearing several masks is more uncomfortable than a single mask. The wearer can feel like he is making a greater sacrifice, and others may think the same. In reality, the extra layers probably just make the hot steamy air jet out the sides of the mask all over the place. The effect of masking is about a 2% reduction of new cases at most per the latest CDC report, so masks seem to be more of a social/emotional issue than an effective way to slow the spread.