Duke Study Assesses Best Protective Face Masks

Scimedico LLC is a medical products company based in West Orange, New Jersey. Specializing in laboratory research and protection, Scimedico LLC helped provide companies with the proper protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, using masks for protection remained a constant discussion. There are many different types of masks on the market, including paper surgical masks, homemade cotton masks, and N95 varieties. A 2020 study by Duke University showed N95 masks to be the most effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19. The study also stated that if 90 percent of people wore even just a cloth mask and remained 6 feet from others in public, the transmission rate of COVID-19 would drop by 30 percent.

Duke’s study also showed evidence for the least effective types of masks. These included cloth or fleece neck gaiters, along with bandanas and knitted masks. Researchers believe this is due to the woven fabric’s ability to break up larger particles into smaller ones that can remain airborne longer, causing increased risk of infection.