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Why it matters

check your fit

The Importance of Fit

The success of a mask comes down to these five key elements: textile content, filter content, mask hygiene, properly wearing the mask, and fit. Having a mask that's made with the best material and is taken care of and worn properly will still fail at protecting the wearer, if it doesn't fit right. If there are big gaps and openings between the curves of the face and the mask this results in leakages. This can mean the mask loses over 50% effectivity and your protection has weakened significantly. (6) The fit of the mask is very important and should be one of your key deciding factors when picking a mask. 

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The Nose

One major fit area for a face mask is the nose. The wearer must keep their nose covered at all times. The fit around the nose should be snug and contour with the line of the face. Some ways to help achieve this is putting a bendy piece in the bridge of the nose in the mask. This ensures a tight seal.(1) 

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The Side Gaps

Another key area of fit is along the sides of the face. There should be little to no gapping along the side of the face. Large gaps will lead to a loss of efficiency when filtering the air you breathe. (2)

 

Overall fit of the face mask

The overall fit of the face mask should cover the nose and all of the mouth. The fit for the rest of the mask should be snug around the cheeks and chin to ensure a tight seal around the face. An improper fit can result in a leakage that will reduce the procession of the mask. However, the mask should still allow for ventilation of the exhaled air. (3)

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Difference between N95 and Surgical masks

Both of these types of masks are medical PPE that should be saved from the medical field workers. However, the different styles give different protective coverage. Both protect the wearer from large droplets and sprays, but only the N95 can protect from small airborne particles. (4) The N95 is a circular mask that goes around the nose and mouth and seals tightly around the edges. The surgical mask is a rectangular mask with pleats that open up to cover the mouth and nose. However, the sides of the surgical mask usually have large gaps that fail to help filter the air of the wearer. Overall, the N95 style protects the wearer from the environment and the surgical mask protects the environment from the wearer. (5)

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Fabric versions of Medical masks

The same protection of the N95 masks can be replicated in fabric masks. Cloth masks that have the same style of covering the nose and mouth in a tight seal can potentially offer the same or better protection. Due to COVID-19 being such a small airborne particle even the medical masks have trouble filtering that size of particles. However, with the ongoing textile research there is a hunt to find a material that can offer the proper protection needed during this difficult time. The style of the fabric mask is something fortunately we have an answer to. For the most protection, masks that tightly cover your mouth and nose, such as the Olson mask, can offer similar protection like the N95 masks.  

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Sources:

  1. Maura Hohman, What type of fabric is best for face masks? (Today, 22 april 2020)

  2. Link: https://www.today.com/style/what-type-fabric-best-face-masks-t179615

  3. Abhiteja Konda et.al, Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of common fabrics used in respiratory cloth masks (ACS Nano, 21 April 2020)

  4. Link:https://www.today.com/style/what-type-fabric-best-face-masks-t179615

  5. Abhiteja Konda et.al, Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of common fabrics used in respiratory cloth masks (ACS Nano, 21 April 2020)

  6. Link:https://www.today.com/style/what-type-fabric-best-face-masks-t179615

  7.  Youlin Long et. al, Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta‐analysis (Journal of evidence based medicine, 13 March 2020) 93-101.

  8. Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jebm.12381

  9.  Youlin Long et. al, Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta‐analysis (Journal of evidence based medicine, 13 March 2020) 93-101.

  10. Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jebm.12381

  11. Abhiteja Konda et.al, Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of common fabrics used in respiratory cloth masks (ACS Nano, 21 April 2020)

  12. Link:https://www.today.com/style/what-type-fabric-best-face-masks-t179615

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