Researchers Find Putting Pantyhose On Head Makes Masks Safer
I don’t mind wearing masks (and I wish more people did) in public spaces, but this is now officially ridiculous:
In 2020, researchers from the University of Cambridge started testing out some of the ways people might adjust face masks to make them fit better on their faces. Their findings were finally released as a peer-reviewed study this week in the journal PLoS ONE.
A better seal around the edges of the masks means more protection from COVID-19, but most consumer-level surgical masks and KN95s leave gaps around the sides. The researchers tested seven different hacks that attempt to close the gaps, on surgical and KN95 masks:
- Taping the edges of a mask to one’s face
- Filling the sides of a mask with gauze
- Binding the mask to the face with gauze (the “mummy” method)
- Putting a knot in the ear loops
- Rubber bands around the front to create a “brace” against the mouth
- A slice of pantyhose wrapped around the face
All of these were better than nothing when tested by measuring concentrations of particles inside and around the mask. But the one that created the best seal was the pantyhose: they cut a section out of the thigh of some hose and yanked that over the wearer’s head and mask (except for one participant, who couldn’t get the hosiery over his head).
My god, just get a box of N95s if you have to be in a crowded public space while transmission of Omicron is still high.
[Vice: Scientists Find Putting Pantyhose On Your Head Makes Your Mask Safer]
