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.
From April 3 to April 6, YouGov polled 1,274 adults online in the U.S. regarding their interactions with and perception of telemedicine as a followup to the same questions asked in November.
Though New York recorded 799 deaths, a record-high number for the third day in a row, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the novel coronavirus has not killed anyone due to a lack of care and said hospitalizations in the state are nearly flat.
Three astronauts have arrived at the International Space Station, after departing the virus-plagued planet. The two Russians and one American reached the orbiting lab in their Soyuz capsule Thursday, six hours after blasting off from Kazakhstan.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has new guidance for essential workers as it takes a small step toward reopening the country.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that 779 people in the state have died in a single day, marking another solemn milestone as the state fights to slow down the devastation of COVID-19.
Wayne County, where Detroit is located, is the third deadliest county in the nation, as its coronavirus death toll has recently climbed to 346, with African Americans accounting for more than 40 percent of that total
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday asked President Donald Trump to transition the USNS Comfort, docked at New York City, to begin transitioning to treat coronavirus patients.
Gov. Cuomo revealed that 731 people had died on Monday, the largest single-day increase, bringing the state's total reported death toll to 5,489, roughly half of the nation's total.
As large swaths of the U.S. are stuck in place as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the country, experts warn that consuming too much news media could heighten the growing anxiety among the populace.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivered a message of cautious optimism on Monday while relaying the latest COVID-19 data gathered by the state.
