How can you identify a good disposable mask?
First, you should make sure your mask has more than one layer, or that it's woven with tight material. To figure out how tightly woven your mask is, you can conduct a candle test, says Suzanne Pham, MD, the Medical Director of the COVID-19 response team at Weiss Memorial Hospital.
Wear your mask as you regularly would, and hold a candle about a foot away from you, and try to blow it out. "If it blows out, that means your masks are probably not doing as great of a job. If it doesn’t blow out very easily, then that probably means the fibers are quite tight and are trapping in particles well," says Dr. Pham.
You can also do a quick test with your phone light. Shine
your phone's light through you mask and see how well you can see it on the
other side. "If the light can be seen quite clearly that means that the
fibers of your mask are not woven tightly enough," says Dr. Pham. "So
it’s not going to be able to trap the viral articles as you’re exhaling them
compared to one where the light isn’t seen as well."
The most important thing when it comes to a good disposable
mask, though, is ensuring proper fit, says Dr. Pham. Your mask should fit
properly above the nasal bridge and wrap under the chin. There should be no
large gaps between the mask and your cheeks, adds Dr. Pham, and ideally, the
mask should have a metal nose piece that allows you to shape the top of the
mask around the bridge of your nose appropriately. Click here for more information: 3M Disposable Respirators
Though that's a lot to take into account, don't fret. You can find tons of
different disposable masks at the click of a button through Amazon. Whichever
one you choose, make sure your mask fits snugly against the face, covers your
nose and below the chin, has multiple layers of fabric ideally at least
three and is secured with ear loops or ties. These are the best disposable
masks on Amazon right now, according to user reviews.
Earlier this winter, officials at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention updated their COVID-19 mask guidance to include
a new recommendation for disposable medical masks and double masking
specifically. And while COVID-19 vaccines are well underway for many
across the nation, since current CDC guidelines say that masks will still be
necessary in public spaces for the foreseeable future, people should think
about upgrading their mask collection for maximized protection.
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