We need to be double masking with a snug fit to protect ourselves from the new strains of COVID-19, researchers have found.
A cloth mask over a medical grade mask and ensuring that they fit well on the face is the best method of ensuring protection against the virus.
The best method to ensure this is knotting the ear loops of a surgical mask and then tucking the excess material close to the face, research by the CDC in the US has found.
It found that this method helped to reduce exposure to infected aerosols by 92.5% when cough tested in a lab.
Wearing any kind of mask rather than going without also helps protect against the COVID-19 droplets, its research said.
A surgical mask worn without knotting had 42% protection from a simulated cough, while a cloth mask alone blocked 44.3% of particles.
And when simulated breathing was tested, they found that exposure was reduced by 82.2% when double masking and 62.9% with a surgical mask that was knotted and snugly fit and tucked.
When both people wore a double mask with proper fitting, the exposure was as low as 96.4% and 95.9%.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told a White House briefing: "These experimental data reinforce CDC's prior guidance that everyone 2 years of age or older should wear a mask when in public and around others in the home not living with you.
"We continue to recommend that masks should have two or more layers, completely cover your nose and mouth, and fit snugly against your nose and the sides of your face."
