An expert in infectious diseases has warned that wearing two masks can “hurt more” if one of the face coatings is not worn properly.
Michael Osterholm, who was an adviser to President Joe Biden’s transition team, said the problem comes with masks that have an “already compromised fit or filtration capacity” that allow respiratory drops to escape from holes. .
“If you add another mask, it may make it harder for air to move around the area of two fabrics, and at this point it causes more air to seep through the sides, which really improves your ability to infect. . “Osterholm told NBC anchor Chuck Todd on Sunday’s” Meet the Press. “
Osterholm said there are cases where double masking can be an effective tool against coronavirus.
“But at the same time, there are many [where] it may hurt you more, ”said the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Osterholm said what is “very important” to him is to prevent people from wearing the mask under his nose.
“You know, it’s like fixing three of your submarine’s five screen doors,” he said.
“We need to get people to start using them well, which would help tremendously,” he added.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a White House coronavirus adviser, said two masks are “probably … more effective.”