N95 vs. Neck Fleece! Who Ya Got?

The Mask/No Mask debate continues. But the real conversation should be, is the mask you are wearing protecting others? 

Duke University looked over a dozen types of face coverings to see which ones block the most particles. And there were some clear winners and losers.

No surprise, the clear winner was the N95 masks. They work best and block the most particles. Those disposable surgical masks were almost as good though. Homemade cotton masks with multiple layers did well too. These all offered good protection. So if you are wearing one of these, you can be confident you are doing all you can and are good to go.

Now, on the other end of things, if you are wearing one of those knitted masks with bigger holes like a scarf, you might as well not wear anything. And bandanas didn't do well either, partly because they're single-layer, but will work in a pinch.

But the worst mask by far were NECK FLEECES, also called “GAITER” masks. Those are the ones you wear around your neck. They didn't block a lot of particles though, and might actually make things WORSE.

Research shows that Neck Fleeces broke up saliva particles into even smaller droplets that got through by the nature of the porous fabric.

Plus, neck fleeces were voted most likely to look like an old west train robber – and that’s not good.

If knowledge is power, then this is a lightning bolt.

Mask up ya’ll, Fleecing up? Not so much.

All My Best,

The JimShow