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“But let’s not forget the other simple measures we can implement that we learned at the beginning of the pandemic: handwashing and social distancing,” he adds. Jarrahy says evidence shows that a single surgical style mask should be effective to help significantly reduce the risk of transmission. “Having good hygiene, social distancing and wearing a mask correctly,” says Dasgupta. Dasgupta calls the safety measures he practices the big three. Other safety measures matter tooįirst, get vaccinated if you can, and get your booster shots in a timely matter. “Because I spend the bulk of my time in hospitals, I wear an N95 mask,” says Dasgupta. The type of mask he wears on a daily basis depends on a number of factors including the environment he’s in. “This only protects the person wearing the mask and not others,” says Dasgupta. Don’t use masks that have a one-way valve Masks that fit securely to the head,” says Dasgupta. Masks that won’t allow air to escape the edges. “We all have different facial features but these are the qualities people should look for: Choosing masks that are large enough to completely and comfortably cover the nose, mouth and chin without any gaps. People can engage in proper mask wearing by making sure they’re wearing well-fitted masks. A surgical mask has good filtration but doesn’t always have the best fit,” says Doron.
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“KF94s are also good and less likely to be counterfeit. “If your glasses are not misting up, the fit is probably pretty good,” says Jarrahy.Īdditionally, KN95s are good, but Doron notes they can be counterfeit. He adds, for people who wear glasses, if the glasses fog up when the mask is on then the seal is probably too loose and the wire should be adjusted. Reza Jarrahy, associate clinical professor at UCLA. This is one of the advantages of these masks, whereas cloth masks simply hang off the nose without adhering closely to the cheek,” says Dr. Surgical masks have a wire along the top edge that can be molded to the contour of the nose and cheeks.
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If that’s the case, Doron recommends wearing a surgical mask, so long as it’s actually worn and worn correctly. N95s are the best for both, but many people don’t tolerate them for long periods,” says Doron. “You can protect yourself with a good quality mask that meets the 2 Fs - fit and filtration. Shira Doron, infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, says the vast majority of people acquire COVID in their own home, where they don’t wear a mask. That said, N95s are hard to find right now (some masks sold out even as we were writing this story), but here are some of the better-reviewed mask options that you can still buy now:ĭr. Surgical masks are worn in hospital settings and N95 masks are the gold standard of the choices in terms of best protection from infections, including viruses,” says Dasgupta. “In comparison to surgical and N95 masks, cloth masks give the least amount of protection. Raj Dasgupta, pulmonary and critical care specialist at Keck Hospital at USC. if you want to protect yourself, N95 is the best option, says Dr. “Omicron is very contagious and we see that based on how fast omicron became the dominant strain in the United States and around the world …. In fact, experts say cloth masks now underperform compared to some other types of masks like N95s, KN95s, KF94s and surgical masks, amid the latest surge, though it’s important to point out that any mask that fits snugly and covers your nose and mouth is better than no mask.
#The wirecutter masks upgrade
And doctors say that in addition to getting vaccinated, if you haven’t already, you may want to upgrade your face mask to better protect yourself against omicron. alone - with the CDC estimating that for the week ending January 1, 95% of new COVID-19 cases were the omicron strain. What type of face masks offers the best protection?ĬOVID cases are hitting record numbers - on Monday, for example, more than one million new coronavirus cases were recorded in the U.S.