To Mask or Double Mask

by Prashant Kapadia/NHN

Wearing a mask is no longer optional. Condominiums and residential complexes are now even sending out advisories to stay masked at home/ in common areas even if they are open and you do not have many people in your vicinity. You have also heard repeated pleas to double mask. Let’s take a quick look at effective mask wearing etiquette. When to mask and when to double mask.

Cloth + Surgical Mask or an N95/FFP2 – the science

The commonly available ordinary cloth or surgical masks provide an ordinary level of protection not only because their filters are basic but also because they are loosely fitting masks. Hence, by double masking, we not just increase the number of barriers between your nose and the air borne particles but also improve the fit and therefore, minimize the leakage.

The N95/FFP2 ranks as a high barrier to transmission of flu, infection and inevitable air-borne viruses. Rigorously tested for several transmission conditions, N95/FFP2 masks usually use five-layers with electrostatically charged melt-blown filters that provide adequate protection from airborne particulates aerosols as small as 0.3 microns. It is powered with bacterial, particle and viral filtration efficiency. Such masks are designed to give the optimum fit which means leakage from the sides of the mask are also minimized.

This means if you are using a mask like the Savlon FFP2 S Mask, you can forgo adding another layer to your N95/FFP2 mask. Think of it like an obstacle race. Either you have a 2 level course with different barrier types or one level which is extremely difficult to get through. If type 2 is still your only option, use a surgical mask first, secure it tightly behind your ear and on the nose bridge and then top it off with a cotton mask that covers the entire area from the nose to under the chin.

Comfort be key

An FFP2 / N95 mask of good quality is incredibly lightweight with skin compatible layers which adds comfort to the wearer. Some Savlon Masks also have extenders that secure the masks to the back of the head rather than behind the ear for added comfort and long duration wear. Cloth + Surgical mask combinations tend to be 33% heavier than other comparable respirators that increase wearer fatigue. This is especially true when you’ve worn the mask for a considerably long duration and the medical and cloth masks saturate with liquid droplets from the air/ from your breathing. FFP2 masks have a sweat and moisture resistant inner layer that keeps the filters dry for longer.

The universal, one-size respirator of the N95/FFP2 are designed to provide optimum fit to the average adults’ face shape and size. These respirators also form up with the natural shape of the face to minimize pressure points and lowering the need to fiddle with a nose clip.

If budgets are to be taken in to account

While there is no price tag that you can put against your health and safety of your family, let’s consider the cost implications of a cloth + surgical mask combination vs an N95/FFP2 mask.

Surgical masks should be disposed after every use while the cloth masks should ideally be washed after every use. This results in the cloth mask becoming crinkled/the ear loops giving up after 3-4 washes. Which means you need to have many surgical masks and at least 2 cotton masks handy, even if you are stepping out sparingly.

In contrast, N95/FFP2 masks might cost marginally more because of their advanced filtration system. As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended to maintain a set of such masks to use on rotation and a used mask should be discarded whenever the user encounters either difficulty breathing, foul smell, or any kind of discoloration or damage on the mask.

Before we go, a quick reminder – While wearing masks, any masks –

1. Ensure hand-hygiene before wearing and after removing mask

2. Ensure best fit and tight seal for full protection – with no gaps along the sides.

3. Ensure coverage from the ridge of your nose down to under your chin

4. Avoid repeatedly touching or adjusting your mask