A: Check out our mask cheat sheet below, and #MaskUp!
Remember the 2 keys to mask effectiveness:
💥FILTRATION and FIT
Nerdy Girl mask ranking:
1️⃣ N95
2️⃣ KF94 (Korea), FFP2 (Europe)
3️⃣ KN95s (buyer beware: manufacturer should hold a ‘NIOSH Certificate’)
4️⃣ Double-mask (cloth mask on top of surgical, OR cloth mask with filter insert)
5️⃣ Surgical mask
6️⃣ Good fitting cloth mask
Options 1-4 provide both good filtration AND fit; besides the gold standard fitted N95, differences among these will be small so use what’s available & fits you.
Option 5: good filtration but gaps
Option 6: good fit but less filtration
🏃🏽♀️ CONTEXT MATTERS: Choose masks based on type of activity. If you are outdoors & not near a lot of people, cloth is fine. But for indoor environments or if you are an essential worker with lots of close contact, definitely upgrade your protection to a higher ranking option.
Also remember that any mask you *use* consistently is much better than one that is uncomfortable and gets fiddled with a lot. This applies to children for whom finding something they will consistently wear is a high priority. The best mask is the one that fits, is comfortable, and is WORN. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
So…. #Maskup and deny those new variants the access to your nose and mouth that they want!
Love,
Those Nerdy Girls
Further reading:
“Do You Really Need Two Masks Now?”
“Double Masking for COVID: Are Two Face Masks Better Than One?”
“The best face mask is one that fits”
Recent DP Mask posts:
What kind of mask should I be wearing?
image credit: Linsey Marr and Jasper Marr Hester
