For folks going out to get groceries, will covering the face with any old piece of fabric make a difference? What makes N95 masks CDC approved?
In: Engineering
N95 masks when used correctly is certified to filter out 95% of all airborne particles. Some factories have designed masks that they can make in the current crisis but it is hard to make masks that filter more then 70% even with a design team having the right tools to measure it and testing out different designs. A makeshift cloth mask is much harder to use correctly without air leaking around it and will also typically have large gaps between the threads for particles to go through. So while it is better then nothing you should not expect it to stop a virus. What is better is if you use something like a paper towel which is pressed and not woven as a filter and the cloth just to keep it in place.
As for the specifics of the coronavirus we do not have any studies showing how effective just a cloth mask can be. We know the virus in itself is not airborne but rather spreads through liquid. However when you breathe and especially if you cough you will release spit into the air which may contain the virus. And it is likely that cloth will be better at stopping these droplets then it is at stopping dry particles. But it is pretty clear that a makeshift cloth mask will help reduce how far you spit when coughing and talking and will also make it easier to not touch your mouth and nose. So there is little doubt that it will help, but not how much.
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