Once upon a time (okay, not so long ago since it happened in 2020), Malaysians were compelled by the Ministry of Health to wear a mask whenever in public areas (or else, risk an RM1,000 fine if caught by the police).
You see, wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic creates a protective barrier between you and any contact with respiratory droplets (e.g. sneeze, cough or talk), which is how the virus is usually transmitted.
However, in early 2021, Health director-general Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah encouraged wearing “double face masks and a face shield in crowded and high-risk public areas, such as hospitals”.
According to Dr Noor Hisham, wearing double face masks “could filter up to 95% of the COVID-19 virus”. At the time of writing, it has not been made compulsory for us to do so but this still begs an all-important question: is double-masking really effective against the COVID-19 variants?
Why should you double-mask?
1. More secure fit
Wearing a (single) mask can actually result in the air escaping through the sides when you breathe in and out. In other words, not having a perfectly or well-sealed mask on your face, can do more harm than good. For instance, the respiratory droplets that may contain the COVID-19 virus can seep through the gaps of your mask.
Here is where the double-masking method can help to prevent the aforementioned issue. When you layer your inner mask with an outer mask, it provides a snug fit against your face. This, in turn, helps to create a better seal while minimising the gaps around the edges of the mask.
2. Better filtration
According to Dr Noor Hisham’s infographic in a Twitter post, it indicates that wearing a single mask (surgical mask) simply only offers up to 56.1% effectiveness. Whereas, when the knot-and-tuck method is used for wearing, this creates an adequate seal and raises its effectiveness to 77%.
But it’s the double-masking technique that offers the most effective protection so far, capable of blocking the virus up to 85.4%.
So, what kind of double masks should you wear for maximum effectiveness?
Just like single-masking, double-masking only works if you pick the right ones. According to Dr H. Dirk Sostman of Houston Methodist hospital, he recommends that it’s best to wear an ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials)-rated surgical mask and a cloth mask with at least two layers of tight weave fabric.
