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.