Experts are urging the public to get tested and upgrade their masks as Covid-19 cases surge in the U.S., but which masks offer the best protection against the virus?
An employee arranges N95 face masks in a box at a factory that produces 40,000 N95 masks per day. ALFREDO ESPRELLA/Agence France-Presse/
The images are from the same source.
Health officials warn against wearing a single cloth mask to protect against the omicron variant, as tiny droplets can still make it through large pores of fabric.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing a tight-fitting mask with efficient filters like an N95 or KN95 mask can remove at least 85% of airborne particles.
N95 masks are certified by the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, while KN95 masks are manufactured in China.
If N95 or KN95 masks are hard to find, double masking, specifically a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top, can provide better protection than just a single cloth mask.
According to the CDC, N95 and KN95 masks can be used again if they don't have bodily fluids on them, broken straps or a broken nose piece.
To clean these types of masks, place the mask into a paper bag at room temperature for at least three to four days, or heat the mask at 158 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour, according to a study published in the Journal of Immunology.
Cloth masks are not much more than facial decorations. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, told CNN that there's no place for them in light of Omicron. We need to wear a surgical mask. You can wear a cloth mask on top of that, but you need to wear a cloth mask with it.
Surprising fact.
A novel coronaviruses particle is about 0.12 micrometers. A study published in PeerJ found that the size of cloth masks ranged from 80 to 500 micrometers, underscoring the importance of wearing a mask that has higher standards.
The number is big.
668,499. According to the CDC, the seven-day average of new cases in the U.S. was on Friday.
The key background.
The omicron variant causes the highest levels of cases ever reported in the U.S., and officials have sounded the alarm to wear higher-quality masks. According to the CDC, children are being admitted to the hospital in record numbers. At least 18 states reported a critical shortage of hospital workers over the weekend as the number of cases began to overwhelm some hospital systems.
N95, KN95 masks are more effective than cloth.
18 states are struggling with critical hospital worker shortages.
A study found that wearing a mask was the best public health measure against the virus.
Here's who's wearing the most masks.
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