Study shows some masks actually do more harm than good
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Health & Fitness
Dorsia — 5 years ago(August 11, 2020 01:24 PM)
The traditional medical masks are effective in preventing virus spread, but more casual style masks like bandanas and "neck fleeces" or "neck gaiters" do the opposite. The material in the masks coverts larger droplets into smaller ones, increasing their ability to spread.
These are neck gaiters:
The most secure mask, an N95, led to a droplet transmission of below 0.1 percent. But handmade cotton and polypropylene masks, some of which were made from apron material, also proved effective, with droplet transmission ranging from 0.1 percent to 0.4 percent. One mask, which was knitted, released a higher number of droplets, from 0.1 percent to 0.6 percent. But none of the masks compared with the neck fleece, which had 110 percent droplet transmission (10 percent higher than not wearing a mask).
The researchers explain how these masks may actually spread more of the virus than not wearing one at all. “We noticed that speaking through some masks (particularly the neck fleece) seemed to disperse the largest droplets into a multitude of smaller droplets … which explains the apparent increase in droplet count relative to no mask in that case,” they write. These small droplets could prove extremely dangerous in terms of transmission. “Considering that smaller particles are airborne longer than large droplets (larger droplets sink faster), the use of such a mask might be counterproductive,” they add.
Given the rate of droplet transmission from neck fleeces and bandannas, he suggests that Americans move away from both coverings immediately. “I do think they should be abandoned, especially given that gaiters were shown to increase transmission,” says Adalja. “Not every mask is going to be equivalent. … I think that many people are just wearing these face coverings to check a box and not realizing that in order to serve a purpose they need to be effective.”
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/neck-gaiters-may-actually-increase-covid-19-transmission-study-finds-183034882.html