Double masking for COVID-19: CDC recommends wearing two masks at once

Double masking for COVID-19: CDC recommends wearing two masks at once
Two masks are the new mask -- and we explain how to double mask properly.
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- 04:22
Kilito Chan/Getty Images
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.
Two masks are better than one. The new guidance for slowing the spread of COVID-19 is to double mask. First, Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed it because "it just makes common sense," the chief medical adviser to the president told NBC News' Today. Now, the CDC recommends the same.
According to findings from a CDC study, wearing a cloth mask on top of a surgical mask helps improve the fit of the surgical mask. The closer-fitting the mask is your face, the fewer gaps there are between the mask and your face where respiratory droplets carrying the coronavirus can enter. The study found that, "The receiver's exposure was maximally reduced (>95%) when the source and receiver were fitted with modified medical procedure masks. These laboratory-based experiments highlight the importance of good fit to optimize mask performance."

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