This is a public service site where I will be posting the best information I can find on the use of masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. (If you’re a health professional and would like to manage this page, leave a comment and I will be in touch.)
Last updated 3/12/22
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Wear medical-grade masks if you can’t socially distance, Britons told | The Guardian
An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19 | PNAS
Widespread mask use can help stop virus outbreaks, study shows | CNN
Why Aren’t We Wearing Better Masks? | The Atlantic
How to Choose the Best Cloth Face Mask for You | NY Times Wirecutter
Face Shields and Valved Masks Offer More Comfort but Less Protection | NY Times
Paper: Visualizing droplet dispersal for face shieldsand masks with exhalation valves
Iowa Physicians Prescribe a Statewide Face Covering Mandate
Finally, The Donald dons a mask… DailyMail 7/11/20
California mandates masks for most public activity as coronavirus numbers surge NBC News 6/18/20
If 80% of Americans Wore Masks, COVID-19 Infections Would Plummet, New Study Says Vanity Fair – From May 8! Includes links to studies.
Widespread mask-wearing could prevent COVID-19 second waves: study Reuters 6/10/20 Study: A modelling framework to assess the likely effectiveness of facemasks in combination with ‘lock-down’ in managing the COVID-19 pandemic
Face Masks Considerably Reduce COVID-19 Cases in Germany:A Synthetic Control Method Approach (pdf) 6/10/20
Compulsory wearing of masks seems to be trending especially on public transport. 6/8/20
Face masks are now mandatory in Spain
Face coverings to be made compulsory on public transport in England
The CDC makes these print resources available as 8.5 x 11 pdf files (linked to photos). They are also available in Spanish here. 6/4/20
Covid-19 Masks Are Not Toxic. But Babies Shouldn’t Wear Them Forbes 5/17/20
Yes, those babies we see on social media wearing masks and shields sure do look cute, but there are several dangers when it comes to infant mask wearing.
Coronavirus: Germans don compulsory masks as lockdown eases BBC 4/27/20
Germans have started wearing facemasks outside the home as new rules come into force to curb the spread of coronavirus. The use of cloth masks is now mandatory on public transport and, in most regions, within shops.
N95DECON Latest scientific info on mask decontamination.
N95DECON is a volunteer collective of scientists, engineers, clinicians, and students from universities across the US as well as other professionals in the private sector. N95DECON seeks to review, collate, publish, and disseminate scientific information about N95 decontamination to help in decisions about N95 decontamination and reuse.
Cleaning and reusing hospital masks: Is it safe? 4/11/20
Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said today that the state, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will be deploying new sterilization systems from Ohio-based defense contractor Battelle within the next week. “It’s a technology that is designed to get on the ground and actually bring in a used N95 mask and do a sterilization and cleaning process that makes them basically new again,” Ghilarducci said.
Treasure trove of science-based mask info. From SmartAirFilters.com This was my question that led to their site: Does Microwaving Masks Disinfect Viruses? Answer, yes but…
Tests find that microwaving contaminated objects at 600 watts for 3 minutes deactivates viruses from contaminated objects. However, microwaving masks isn’t recommended if it requires removing metal parts. Microwaving masks may also cause masks to melt or even catch on fire, so it is dangerous!
What Are The Best Materials for Making DIY Masks? (Their article is being updated with further testing as new info comes in.) What’s a Reliable Way to Disinfect Masks from Viruses Without Harming Effectiveness?
CDC Mask Page: Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
What’s the Best Material for a Mask? (NY Times 4/5/20) “Hold it up to a bright light,” said Dr. Scott Segal, chairman of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health who recently studied homemade masks. “If light passes really easily through the fibers and you can almost see the fibers, it’s not a good fabric. If it’s a denser weave of thicker material and light doesn’t pass through it as much, that’s the material you want to use.”
Published on Apr 3, 2020 Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, shares ways to create your own face covering in a few easy steps.
Everyone Thinks They’re Right About Masks (Ed Yong, The Atlantic)
There’s still a good case for masks, though, even if they can’t stop viruses from getting in: They can stop viruses from getting out. “I’ve been slightly dismissive of masks, but I was looking at them in the wrong way,” Harvard’s Bill Hanage told me. “You’re not wearing them to stop yourself getting infected, but to stop someone else getting infected.”
HKMask Manual (DIY N70 mask making).
Cloth Mask + Kitchen Towel Paper (filter) = N70
No-Sew Pleated Face Mask with Handkerchief and Hair Tie (DIY) This week, we are sharing the simplest, easiest and useful mask tutorial. No cutting or sewing is required. (Yes, it’s true!)
They discovered that by adding two blue shop towels and using a design that produces a tighter-fitting mask, they could make a mask that could block up to 95% of the particles they could test, while the cotton masks blocked 20% to 60% of the particles.