A Harvard medical expert believes that all Americans should wear N95 masks to help mitigate the further spread of the novel coronavirus.

There is “no reason any essential worker—and really, everyone in the country—should go without masks that filter 95 percent,” Joseph Allen, the director of the Healthy Buildings program at the university, wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post.

He later added: “Take the example of two 70 percent efficient masks, which combine to reduce 91 percent of particles. Not bad. But two N95s result in greater than a 99 percent reduction in exposure. Think about that for a minute. We could reduce exposure by 99 percent for what should be $1 a mask. (Prices are higher now because of the failure to produce an adequate supply.) Throw in better ventilation and some distance between people, and you have hospital-grade protections.”

Allen’s comments came on the heels of White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci saying that he approves the use of two face masks at once, or what is known as double-masking.  

“If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on it—just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,” President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor on the coronavirus said in a recent interview on NBC’s Today.

“And that’s the reason why you see people either double-masking or doing a version of an N95,” he said.

Previously, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases had long asserted that wearing goggles or an eye shield, in addition to a mask or covering, would provide better protection against the coronavirus.

Ever since the start of the pandemic roughly a year ago, N95 masks have been the gold standard for both medical professionals and the general public. However, such personal protective gear has been in short supply, which prompted individuals to search for alternatives.

“If you can’t find one of these masks, or if you’re not sure whether they meet the standards, there’s something you can do right now with confidence: Double-mask with a surgical mask and a cloth mask,” Allen wrote.  

“The surgical mask gives you good, certified filtration, while the cloth mask on top helps improve the fit. Research shows this can achieve greater than 90 percent filtration.” 

One recent study out of the University of Georgia has discovered that even neck gaiters—tubes of performance fabric generally used for running and exercising outdoors—provide a level of protection against the coronavirus that is equivalent to cotton masks.

One-layer gaiters showed a 77 percent average reduction in respiratory droplets compared to no mask, two-layer face masks provided an 81 percent drop, and gaiters that boasted two or three layers (polyester and spandex) offered a 96 percent decrease in droplets.

In another research conducted by Duke University, N95 respirators with no valves garnered the highest score in the study. A disposable surgical mask made from polypropylene was the next best option, followed by one made from two layers of cotton and one layer of synthetic material.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks should have two layers of breathable fabric, with a snug fit covering both the nose and mouth.  

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.  

Image: Reuters