Will wearing two masks better protect me from the virus? AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin
Does wearing two masks provide more protection?
It depends, but it’s possible that doubling up could help in some situations.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a cloth mask made with two or more layers, and ensuring it covers your nose and mouth. The agency says it should fit snugly so there aren't any gaps at the sides of your face.
Wearing just one mask should be enough for most situations, as long as it fits well and isn't loose, said Dr. David Hamer, an infectious disease expert at Boston University.
“Starting out with a good mask to begin with is going to be key,” Hamer said.
Still, some people might want extra protection if they're at risk for severe illness if infected or will be in situations where they expect to be around others for extended periods, such as on a plane.
One option in scenarios when you want extra protection is to wear a cloth mask as well as a regular surgical mask, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco.
Gandhi said that combination -- with either mask on top -- could help achieve a similar effect as the N95 mask. She recommended the added protection for people who will be indoors in areas where transmission rates are high — which could reflect the circulation of more contagious variants.
Another option Gandhi and a colleague recommend for situations where you want “maximum” protection: A two-layer cloth mask that has a filter material in between.
With single cloth masks for everyday use, Gandhi noted it's important that they're made of tightly-woven material and have at least two layers, which creates “an obstacle course” that makes it harder for virus-carrying particles to break through.
Jill and Carlo discuss the pending approval for Pfizer's vaccine for kids, the state of anti-Semitism three years after Tree of Life, potential criminal charges in the 'Rust' prop gun shooting and more.
Amalgamated Bank is the first U.S. bank to publish science-based targets to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The bank says it will reach this goal through how it engages with customers and how it finances projects. Amalgamated Bank Chief Sustainability Officer Ivan Frishberg joined Cheddar Climate to provide more details about the bank's ambitious climate goals.
COP26 been dealt a blow as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose countries are responsible for a third of the world's annual greenhouse gas emissions, will not be in attendance. Bertrand Piccard, Chairman and Founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation, joins Cheddar Climate, where he discusses what he expects to see when the summit commences in Glasgow.
John Nosta, WHO Technology Expert, joins Cheddar News to discuss evolving technology in the healthcare industry and the role 5G is playing in advancing healthcare delivery.
According to the latest report from the UN, several countries around the world are "nowhere near" towards their goal of limiting gas emissions. This report comes ahead of the COP26 which is slated to take place in the month of November in Scotland. Senior Advisor at CDP Paula Diperna, joined Cheddar to discuss what the report highlights and what this tells us about the future plans of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Powerful weather systems over California have caused record amounts of rainfall in the state, including over wildfire-scorched lands since triggering massive landslides.
The FDA meets today on whether or not vaccines for children ages 5-11 can potentially become available to the public. Cheddar News was joined by Dr. Richard Besser, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former Acting Director of the CDC to discuss what could come next for these vaccines.
Dan DePodwin, Director of Forecasting Operations at AccuWeather, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to talk about the extreme weather across the country, including damaging rains in the drought-stricken western U.S. and an incoming Nor'easter that's likely to cause flooding and power outages along the Atlantic coast.
Jill and Carlo cover the news out of Facebook's latest earnings, Tesla's monumental day, Dave Chappelle addresses controversy and the tragedy of the climate emergency.
The UN's World Meteorological Organization reported that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit record levels in 2020, despite coronavirus-related lockdowns. With the COP26 international meeting on climate change less than a week away, Risk and behavioral scientist Dr. Sweta Chakraborty joined Cheddar to break down the "code red for humanity" the report represents and what actual commitments must be made to prevent significant global temperature increases.
