Is It Time To Double Up Face Masks To Combat COVID-19 Variants?

With new variants of the coronavirus making their way across the US and even some parts of Texas, there is some gossip claiming that wearing two face masks is better than one.

Some medical experts told the Washington Post this week that having the added mask and increasing your protection against the virus will help reduce your risk of COVID-19 or one of its variants from the United Kingdom, South Africa or Brazil.

However, the CDC has not issued any official guidelines for wearing two face masks instead of one, and according to Dr. Ruth Berggren of UT Health San Antonio, there are no medical studies to date to prove this.

Dr. Berggren said in an interview with KSAT 12 that two face masks may not be necessary. Instead, make sure you have two or three coats in your face mask and follow the three W’s – W.ear mask, W.ait six feet apart from others, and W.as your hands.

“I don’t think double masking is the answer – it’s the 3Ws,” said Dr. Berggren. ‘You don’t have to have two masks to be safe. You just have to have a good mask. “

“In any case, a double layer of masks, not a single layer of stretchable material. Two or three layers, ”added Dr. Berggren.

With these new virus variants, you may be wondering how safe are the face masks you’ve been using for the past year.

To start, make sure your mask covers your nose and mouth. If you’re wearing a mask halfway through that only covers your mouth, it offers up, according to Dr. Berggren little protection for you and the people around you.

“[It’s] totally ineffective. It’s like you’re not wearing a mask at all, ‘said Dr. Berggren.

It’s also important to keep in mind how tight your mask is. If it is loose or has a large opening on the sides, it may cause you to wear a second mask.

“If your mask has a large opening on the side, that’s a problem. You either have to work on how it fits or use a second mask for that, ”said Dr. Berggren.

The CDC has a few other tips for finding out which masks are safest to use.

From:

Provide two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric
Make sure to cover your nose and mouth with the mask
The sides of your mask should fit snugly around your face with no gaps

Don’ts:

Use masks made of fabric that is difficult to breath, such as vinyl
Do not use masks with exhalation valves or vents that allow virus particles to escape
Are intended for health professionals, such as N95s or surgical masks

Click here to learn more about what the CDC recommends for face masks.

Yes, according to a recent report from The Associated Press, some variants have already made it to Texas.

On Jan. 19, health officials reported a case of the United Kingdom variant, or B.1.1.7, in Dallas County. Another case was confirmed in Houston on January 7.

None of the variants has proven more deadly. However, they are significantly more transferable, medical experts say.

Dr. Berggren said that while reports have not officially confirmed cases of the variants have been found in San Antonio, she believes chances are they are already there.

“We know they were found in Houston, and we think they are here,” said Dr. Berggren.

Fortunately, Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are still believed to be effective against these new strains of COVID-19. And boosters can also be developed to help combat the response of the vaccines.

For now, health officials are urging you to continue to follow applicable public health guidelines and not to disappoint our guard.

You can watch the full interview with Dr. View Berggren here.

RELATED: Health Expert Says San Antonio ‘Could Expect a World of Pain’ With COVID-19 Variants

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