Are you covered?

Behind the masks

Experts explain how effective each of these face coverings are in protecting you from the coronavirus

N95

N95 masks, as their name suggests, block 95 percent of all very small particles, according to the Food and Drug Administration, but are not widely available to the public right now. The masks are designed to seal tightly around the nose and mouth, an important feature in blocking particle entry.

Surgical

According to a South Korean study this month conducted by a team of doctors, surgical masks may not be effective in blocking small particles. The researchers based their findings on the viral particle size from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) -- another coronavirus -outbreak that lasted from 2002 to 2004. According to the study, the particle size of the COVID-19 virus remains unknown, but if it mirrors that of the earlier coronavirus, surgical masks may not be effective in stopping its transmission.

Cotton

Cotton masks are not wholly effective in stopping the transmission of the disease. But, according to Summer Johnson McGee, dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven, some materials are better than others. McGee pointed to a recent commercial study that showed high-thread count bedsheets, denim, canvas and shop towels are among the most effective cloth materials for making masks.

Cloth coverings

While regarded as least effective, cloth coverings, like those fashioned out of bandanas, scarves, or cotton T-shirts, can be enhanced, experts said, by adding household reinforcements. According to Norwalk-based independent environmental consultant Diane Lauricella, coffee filters, dress-maker facing, vacuum bags and feminine products can all be cut and fastened into a mask to provide additional protection. Additionally, bandanas or scarves can be folded to increase their impermeability.