[g1313]

If I'm reading the linked NIH paper correctly, a multi-layer cloth mask even with a gap still filters around 37% of droplets/aerosols <300nm. To me that seems significantly better than nothing, again at basically no cost to me. Also protects against me sneezing or coughing and getting it on someone 20ft+ away.

Unless you go out with an N95, most masks will not filter out aerosols.  So, if that is an issue, wearing a mask is not helping.

BC

I'm no expert, but looking at
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.0c03252
and
https://www.masktestingatnu.com/findings
and
https://medium.com/@fixthemask/latest-te...59dbb926a3
it seems that surgical masks (and even the right fabric cloth masks) can approach something like 90% of a N95 mask's filtering capability if you can get a nice tight fit?

[g1313]

If I'm reading the linked NIH paper correctly, a multi-layer cloth mask even with a gap still filters around 37% of droplets/aerosols <300nm. To me that seems significantly better than nothing, again at basically no cost to me. Also protects against me sneezing or coughing and getting it on someone 20ft+ away.

Unless you go out with an N95, most masks will not filter out aerosols.  So, if that is an issue, wearing a mask is not helping.

BC

I'm no expert, but looking at
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.0c03252
and
https://www.masktestingatnu.com/findings
and
https://medium.com/@fixthemask/latest-te...59dbb926a3
it seems that surgical masks (and even the right fabric cloth masks) can approach something like 90% of a N95 mask's filtering capability if you can get a nice tight fit?