Reuters | February 9, 2021
“If properly worn, all masks are effective,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. But the material and fit of a mask can make a bigger difference than the number you wear.
“Double masking is vague because we don’t know what kind of material or fitting,” Gostin said, noting that surgical masks and KN95s perform better.
When double masking, Dr. Charles Holmes, director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health at Georgetown University, recommends wearing the most effective one on the inside. For example, you should wear a surgical mask over a KN95 mask, or a cloth mask over a surgical mask.
However, Holmes’ biggest piece of advice is simply to cover your face, no matter what that looks like.
“The best mask is a mask you wear consistently and properly,” he said.