Four Masks to Protect You from New Coronavirus Strains

Vaccination against COVID-19 is finally underway worldwide, even as new and more infectious strains of the novel coronavirus are reported every week. Currently, there is no evidence that the disease caused by the new strains is any more severe than the original variant. Health experts believe that it is too soon to tell if the vaccine is ineffective against newer variants.

Undoubtedly, face masks are here to stay for the foreseeable future. But not all masks are effective against these strains. Experts have warned that single-layered cloth masks may not offer enough protection. Some countries – like France, Germany and Austria – are encouraging their citizens to use medical-grade masks when in public. Here are four alternatives that you can use:

N95 masks

Non-valved N95 masks offer the highest level of protection against airborne diseases. In a study by Duke University in 2020, they were found to be the most effective against the novel coronavirus. N95 masks filter 95 per cent of particles smaller than 300 nanometres. The novel coronavirus is about 65 nanometres to 125 nanometres in size. Although these masks were meant to be disposable, scientists are testing ways to disinfect them to make them reusable.

KN95 masks

Like N95 masks, KN95 masks filter 95 percent of nanoparticles that could be carrying the coronavirus. Similarly, they are made of several layers of synthetic materials. The difference is that N95 is the United States standard while KN95 is the China standard. While N95 masks have been approved in China and several other countries, they have not yet been approved by the United States’ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. However, some KN95 masks have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorisation. In the US, KN95 masks are often used on public transport, airports and stores.

Surgical masks

Surgical masks are another alternative to single-use cloth masks. Although not as effective as N95 masks, they can still offer significant protection. In the 2020 Duke University study mentioned earlier, these were found to be the next best to N95 masks.

Double masks

The idea of combining two masks was first endorsed by Dr Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top expert on infectious diseases and chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. Subsequently, new studies conducted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States have shown that wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask improves the fit of the latter. It reduces the porosity (the number of gaps) in the covering, thereby reducing the wearer’s vulnerability to infectious particles.

The arrival of a vaccine offers some much-needed hope, but these are still early days. Until a sizeable number of the global population is inoculated, the face mask should remain your first line of defence against infection.