Even with a newly developed coronavirus vaccine currently rolling out and another likely on the way soon, health officials are matching their optimism about the coming months with a reminder that it's still very important to follow basic health guidelines such as social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing a mask. But when it comes to your PPE, there may be one major mistake you're making that could be putting you at risk. According to a new study, wearing a used or worn-out mask could actually be worse than wearing no mask at all in some cases. Read on to make sure your face covering is protecting you, and for more on staying safe in the pandemic, check out You're More Likely to Catch COVID in This Surprising Place, Study Finds.
The new research, published on Dec. 15 in the journal Physics of Fluids, comes from a team of scientists at California Baptist University and University of Massachusetts Lowell, who used a computer model to measure how masks affected the airflow and passage of particles to and from the wearer. The model also showed where particles landed on one's face, in the nasal passages, and how they are distributed into the lungs and pharynx.
The research determined that a new three-layer surgical mask is 65 percent efficient in filtering particles, but if the mask is worn out, that number drops to 25 percent. In fact, the researchers found that a worn down mask led the wearer to inhale more particles than those wearing no mask at all. Those particles that escape the filtration of your mask can enter through your respiratory tract and instead infect you. As a result, the researchers concluded that wearing a mask with less than 30 percent filtration efficiency can be worse than going out without a face covering.
"It is natural to think that wearing a mask, no matter new or old, should always be better than nothing," study author Jinxiang Xi, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at University of Massachusetts Lowell, said in a statement. "Our results show that this belief is only true for particles larger than 5 micrometers, but not for fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers."
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wearing-mask-could-worse-no-113144318.html
But there's more to choosing the right masks than filtration prowess. Read on to see what to avoid when it comes to PPE, and for more on how to prepare yourself for your inoculation, check out The CDC Is Warning You to Prepare For These COVID Vaccine Side Effects.
The new research, published on Dec. 15 in the journal Physics of Fluids, comes from a team of scientists at California Baptist University and University of Massachusetts Lowell, who used a computer model to measure how masks affected the airflow and passage of particles to and from the wearer. The model also showed where particles landed on one's face, in the nasal passages, and how they are distributed into the lungs and pharynx.
The research determined that a new three-layer surgical mask is 65 percent efficient in filtering particles, but if the mask is worn out, that number drops to 25 percent. In fact, the researchers found that a worn down mask led the wearer to inhale more particles than those wearing no mask at all. Those particles that escape the filtration of your mask can enter through your respiratory tract and instead infect you. As a result, the researchers concluded that wearing a mask with less than 30 percent filtration efficiency can be worse than going out without a face covering.
"It is natural to think that wearing a mask, no matter new or old, should always be better than nothing," study author Jinxiang Xi, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at University of Massachusetts Lowell, said in a statement. "Our results show that this belief is only true for particles larger than 5 micrometers, but not for fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers."
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wearing-mask-could-worse-no-113144318.html
But there's more to choosing the right masks than filtration prowess. Read on to see what to avoid when it comes to PPE, and for more on how to prepare yourself for your inoculation, check out The CDC Is Warning You to Prepare For These COVID Vaccine Side Effects.
