03/22/2021
Someone asked me the other day why I am having my clients wear 2 masks. My answer is simply this, decreasing our risk of being exposed to Covid-19 during your session is my highest priority.
As I visited The CDC web page, I learned that 2 surgical masks are not providing increased protection because of their fit. Read on to learn what easy steps can significantly reduce our risk
Improve the Fit and Filtration of Your Mask to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/mask-fit-and-filtration.html
Updated Feb. 23, 2021
How to Improve fit of medical procedure mask
Knotting and Tucking: This technique can be used to improve the fit of a medical procedure mask. Knot the ear loops of the mask where they join the edge of the mask, then fold and tuck the unneeded material under the edges. (For instructions, see the following https://youtu.be/UANi8Cc71A0external icon)
How to Improve Filtration
Another important step to increase the protection offered by your mask is to improve filtration. Masks capture respiratory droplets containing the virus when the wearer breathes out, blocking them from reaching the outside air and protecting others. They also serve as a barrier to protect the wearer by capturing respiratory droplets containing the virus breathed out by others, so that the wearer does not breathe them in. A mask with improved filtration will stop more respiratory droplets containing the virus from getting inside your mask if others are sick or escaping from your mask if you are sick.
Layering
Adding more layers of material to a mask (layering) is a good way to reduce the number of respiratory droplets containing the virus that come through the mask. One layering strategy is to use a cloth mask that has multiple layers of fabric. Another strategy is to wear two masks.
Improve Mask Fit and Filtration by Wearing Two Masks
Wearing a second mask on top of a first mask can
• Improve fit by pressing the inner mask closer to the face, thereby reducing the amount of air that leaks around the edges of the masks.
• Improve filtration by adding more layers of material to reduce the number of respiratory droplets containing the virus that come through the masks.
One way to do this is to wear a medical procedure mask underneath a cloth mask. A recent study conducted in a laboratory found that this combination provided much better protection to the wearer and to others as compared with a cloth mask by itself or a medical procedure mask by itself.
However, there are some mask combinations that should not be used
• Do not combine two medical procedure masks. Medical procedure masks are not designed to fit tightly and wearing a second medical procedure mask on top of the first medical procedure mask does not help to improve the fit.
• Do not combine a KN95 mask with any other masks. You should only use one KN95 mask at a time, and you should not use any type of second mask on top of or underneath a KN95 mask.
In this video, Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, director of Infection Prevention at UNC Hospitals, shows the simple steps to get a tighter fit from your earloop ...