BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A new study from Duke University thoroughly tested different kinds of masks and found that thin material simply does not do a good job of trapping particles.
The study tested one gaiter and found that particles were able to get through, defeating the purpose of wearing a facial covering.
They tested more than a dozen different kind of facial coverings and the gaiter is getting a lot of attention for failing.
Masks are supposed to help trap your spit particles so they don't get into the air, but common gaiters aren't cutting it.
“It’s a combination certainly of stretchiness of the material, and the material potentially being very thin,” Prof. Martin Fischer at Duke University said.
The mask Duke tested was made of a polyester and spandex blend, but there are gaiters made of thicker materials.
Local health officials are not saying that all gaiters are useless in fighting the spread of COVID-19. Instead, they recommend wearing a second layer if you have doubts.
“I’ve seen a report that layering different types of fabric may be more effective than just one type,” said Dr. David Hicks at JCHD.
Cotton performed very well in the test, so adding a cotton layer could be an easy fix to the issue.
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