N95 masks tagged posts

Researchers have devised a test for face masks to show which are the best at blocking droplets of fluid – and rated several current options.

In a proof-of-concept study, scientists at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, devised a low-cost laser sensor that could spot the masks that were best at stopping droplets spreading.

The team led by Eric Westman found that medical-grade ‘N95’ masks and surgical masks performed extremely well.

Handmade cotton masks also performed well, eliminating a substantial amount of the spray from normal speech.

But improvised face coverings such as bandanas and balaclava-style face coverings were less effective, the researchers found.

Duke researchers created an ine...

Owners of electric multicookers may be able to add another use to its list of functions, a new study suggests: sanitization of N95 respirator masks.

The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign study found that 50 minutes of dry heat in an electric cooker, such as a rice cooker or Instant Pot, decontaminated N95 respirators inside and out while maintaining their filtration and fit. This could enable wearers to safely reuse limited supplies of the respirators, originally intended to be one-time-use items.

Led by civil and environmental engineering professors Thanh “Helen” Nguyen and Vishal Verma, the...

Researchers report that a combination of cotton with natural silk or chiffon can effectively filter out aerosol particles – if the fit is good.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear masks in public. Because N95 and surgical masks are scarce and should be reserved for health care workers, many people are making their own coverings. Now, researchers report in ACS Nano that a combination of cotton with natural silk or chiffon can effectively filter out aerosol particles – if the fit is good.

SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is thought to spread mainly through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks or breathes...