Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has spent much of the last two weeks urging Coloradans to wear masks when they leave their homes for essential functions. With homemade masks on the rise and more and more Coloradans taking Polis’ message, experts are weighing in on how best to make and use those masks to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Be creative about your masks! Whether itap an old t-shirt or a ski buff, I’d love to see what you come up with! Get creative! Just make sure it covers your mouth and nose if you go grocery shopping. 😷
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO)
Aerosol scientists repeatedly caution, more than anything, that people should still maintain a distance of at least six feet between themselves and others while wearing any sort of mask. There is a concern that masks could give people wearing them a false sense of security from contracting the virus.
“That is a reason that authorities delayed recommending masks,” CU-Boulder chemistry professor and aerosol science expert Jose Jimenez said. “They fear (masks) will give people a false sense of confidence, and then they may keep smaller distances and go out more, and then contagion would go up instead of down.”
That’s largely due to the fact that no mask, not even the N95, can fully prevent the spread of a virus. Jimenez estimates that a cloth mask may only reduce the virus’ spread by about 30 percent, and an N95 mask by about 70 percent.
“Even if wearing a mask, you should definitely still stay at least six feet away from other people,” said Dr. Linsey Marr, an engineering professor at Virginia Tech University who specializes in airborne disease transmission. “Masks do not provide perfect protection, and we should be doing everything possible to minimize the risk of transmission, which means wearing a mask and staying at least six feet away from others.”
If you’re making a homemade mask, experts recommend using generally thicker materials to make a mask out of, such as a towel or double- or triple-stitched shirts.
“If you are making a mask, choose a fabric that is thicker and densely woven, like a kitchen towel or a heavyweight t-shirt,” Dr. Marr said. “Those will provide the best protection. You want to make it as hard as possible for tiny particles, which are much smaller than we can see, to get through.”
Of course, more than anything, a bit of common sense is probably the most essential part of making sure masks help prevent the spread of the virus. Masks themselves can collect the virus, so experts urge special caution when removing them, along with wearing them at all times when outside or at an essential business.
“Not many people have self-discipline to wear masks properly. What I regularly see is people playing with masks, lowering masks so the nose is partially or fully exposed with only the mouth covered (and of course there is no protection then), or touching masks’ fronts,” said Dr. Lidia Morawska, the director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health. “Recently, I saw a person taking his mask off by placing his right hand on the front of the mask, then grabbing some chips from a packet with the same hand, and putting the chips into his mouth. With possibly of a good helping of the virus, if it was on the front of the mask.”
