Tight fit and superior filtration put N95s ahead of other masks
since then, yet many Americans continue to wear either cloth or flimsier surgical masks instead of N95 or KN95 respirators. Here’s what to know about wearing a mask during the Omicron wave.It remains true that any mask is better than none. But all masks aren’t equal.
Surgical masks do not fight as tightly and provide significantly less filtration than N95s, according toCloth masks act as a physical barrier but typically provide even less filtration than surgical masks.With its high transmissibility, “Omicron has really changed how we need to protect ourselves against getting this,” says Dr. Mohammad Sobhanie, an infectious disease physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
N95s do come with downsides, however. They can be uncomfortable, particularly when worn for long periods of time. They can also be harder to find and more expensive than simple surgical or cloth masks. If those barriers will absolutely prevent you from wearing your mask consistently and correctly, you might be better off with a lower-grade face covering you can commit to wearing, says Emily Sickbert-Bennett, director of infection prevention at UNC Medical Center.
“The effectiveness of a mask is a combination of both how the material filters and how it fits your face,” Sickbert-Bennett says. Your mask should be snug against your face without significant gaps at the sides, top or bottom. Simple fixes—like knotting the ear loops on a surgical mask to tighten the fit, or wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask to cover more of your face—can improve protection, she says.
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