04-04-2020, 06:26 PM
From the Ars story I cited elsewhere, cotton face masks seem to protect people about 3% of the time. Thicker masks made from sweatshirt or towel materials blocked more, up to 20% and even 40%.
Surgical masks are good for maybe a 40% reduction in cases, and in at least one study did block aerosols from coughing.
Cotton masks should be washed in hot water and dried on high-heat to stand any chance of disinfecting them after use. I've seen recommendations to use bleach as well.
...I'm toying with the idea of lining a cotton mask with a DIY filter... Anyone got any good info on the efficacy of the "coffee filter" mask?
Surgical masks are good for maybe a 40% reduction in cases, and in at least one study did block aerosols from coughing.
Cotton masks should be washed in hot water and dried on high-heat to stand any chance of disinfecting them after use. I've seen recommendations to use bleach as well.
...I'm toying with the idea of lining a cotton mask with a DIY filter... Anyone got any good info on the efficacy of the "coffee filter" mask?