A new study from researchers at Virginia Tech shows wearing even cloth masks protect both the wearer and others from coronavirus particles.
Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Linsey Marr and PhD students have been testing different types of materials and mask designs since March. "We also took these masks, put them on a mannequin and we tested both inward protection, which is how well does the mask protect the wearer, and also outward protection, which how well does the mask work for source control," Marr explained in an online news conference Monday.
While some materials worked better at trapping the smallest size particles, Marr said most of the fabrics they tested worked well at trapping typical respiratory-sized droplets that could contain the virus. And layers are key. "Three layers," Marr recommended, "where the outer two layers are a tightly woven but flexible material that tightly conforms to your face, because we found that stiffer materials did worse because there were gaps, and a layer in between that’s intended to filter out particles."
Marr said the research shows that masks are another important tool in fighting COVID-19. "Showing that the masks do work both ways was needed because that’s been an argument against masks--that they only work for source control so why bother." N-95 masks still offered the best protection against the smallest particles but Marr said that protection is most important for people facing the greatest exposure, like health care workers.
Marr’s team said wearing a face shield by itself offered very little protection because of the large gaps around the sides.
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*** Editor's Note: Radio IQ is a service of Virginia Tech.
