What do coronavirus variants mean for your masks?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that when it comes to wearing two masks to protect against the coronavirus, it "makes common sense" that more than one layer of masking would be more effective.To get more news about medical mask stock, you can visit tnkme.com official website.

There is no specific research on how well face coverings work against new variants of the virus, including the more transmissible variant from the United Kingdom that has been detected in at least 22 states in the United States.A mask "is a physical covering to prevent droplets," Fauci said Monday on NBC's "TODAY" show. "So, if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective."

Asked at a White House briefing last week whether the new variant would make masks less effective, he said that on the contrary, the variants are "the reason why you absolutely should be wearing a mask."

Dr. Marybeth Sexton, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, agrees with Fauci's view.

The new variants "may lead people who have them to have a higher amount of virus in their nose, in their mouth, so that when they breathe or talk or cough or sing, they may put more viral particles out in the environment than the average person," she said.

But, Sexton added, "that should not be a huge problem if everybody has a mask on."

If worn correctly, face coverings are expected to help prevent the spread of any respiratory virus, no matter the variant.

"If that wasn't plainly obvious six months ago, it surely is now," said Cameron Wolfe, an infectious diseases expert and an associate professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine.The key is to strike a balance between comfort and effectiveness.

"If you put three or four masks on, it's going to filter better because it's more layers of cloth," said Dr. Scott Segal, chair of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "But you'll be taking it off because it's uncomfortable."

Segal has been studying face covering fabrics for much of the past year in response to the pandemic. Overall, he said, 3-ply medical-grade surgical masks tend to offer the best protection for the average individual.Acceptance of face coverings has come a long way over the past year. Americans increasingly use them as a way to make fashion statements or to show love for their favorite sports teams.

Accordingly, the mask-making industry has exploded with little oversight. There is no standardized tool — such as one that's equivalent to a nutrition facts label on food — for consumers looking to gauge mask quality.

Technically, the Food and Drug Administration regulates masks, including cloth face coverings, but only when they are marketed specifically for "medical purposes." Most companies do not explicitly advertise their products as such (in fact, many state that their masks are not for medical use), putting the onus on consumers to decide which might offer the most protection.