Among several infectious disease terms to enter the public lexicon, superspreading events continue to make headlines years after the first cases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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An Indian American-led research team at U.C. San Diego reports that if you are going to buy a face mask to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, make sure itâs a three-layered mask.
The Abhishek Saha-led team has now found an additional reason why three-layered masks are safer than single or double-layered alternatives, a UCSD release said.Â
While this advice was originally based on studies that showed three layers prevented small particles from passing through the mask pores, researchers have now shown that three-layered surgical masks are also most effective at stopping large droplets from a cough or sneeze from getting atomized into smaller droplets, the release said.
“Any form of mask is better than no mask,” says study co-author
Swetaprovo Chaudhuri, an associate professor at the U of T Institute for Aerospace Studies in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
“But what we also show is that if they have enough momentum, large liquid droplets can penetrate single or even double-layer masks. When they do, they break up into smaller droplets that are more persistent in the air.”
The team – which also includes Assistant Professor Abhishek Saha at the University of California, San Diego and Professor Saptarshi Basu of the Indian Institute of Science – is leveraging expertise they developed while studying aircraft engines. They use computer models and physical experiments to understand finely dispersed droplets in air, known as aerosols.
Physics experiment shows potential value of triple-layer masking
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March 5, 2021 A new study looks at how droplets expelled by a cough or sneeze can break up into smaller pieces when they collide with mask material. The research underscores the importance of multi-layer masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Photo: CDC, via Unsplash)
An experimental study carried out by an international team of engineers and physicists has added more evidence for the value of triple-layer masking to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and similar diseases.
“Any form of mask is better than no mask,” says Professor
“But what we also show is that if they have enough momentum, large liquid droplets can penetrate single or even double-layer masks. When they do, they break up into smaller droplets that are more persistent in the air.”