The Best Masks for Every Situation, According to Health Experts
What are epidemiologists, virologists, and doctors putting on their (and their families’) faces in day-to-day life?
As masks have become as critical to people’s daily routines as brushing their teeth and grabbing their keys — per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against Covid-19” — it’s also become clear that not all masks are created equal. And with so many options hitting the market, it can be hard to decide what kind to buy and wear, especially since masks that are excellent for one activity can be uncomfortable for others. Here’s what coronavirus experts are wearing in their own lives.
For all-day use: A comfortable cloth or surgical mask (and possibly a few of them)
“I wear a cloth or surgical mask (if I have one available) whenever I’m out in public. This is for source control — to reduce the number of respiratory droplets I’m producing during breathing or speaking,” says Angela Rasmussen, MD, a virologist at Columbia University in New York. “This is to be courteous to my fellow citizens, as data is unclear about the protective benefit these masks offer the wearer, but if everyone…
