While we’ve all been advised to wea rface masks in public to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, it seems not all masks are created equal. Researchers at Duke University tested 14 different types of masks to find out which do the best job and you may be surprised by the results. Overall they found that N95 masks are the best to stop the transmission of respiratory droplets during regular speech, while three-layer surgical masks and cotton masks are also effective. Bandannas, and knitted face coverings don’t offer the greatest protection and neck fleeces or neck gaiters are least effective, and allow more droplets to escape than not wearing a mask at all.
Photo: iStockphoto