Should you wear two masks? I asked a doctor

RALEIGH, NC – Health experts have been saying for months that wearing a mask is important for stopping the spread of COVID-19. But is there an advantage to wearing two masks?

It’s a hot topic right now, especially since that highly contagious variant of the new coronavirus first identified in the UK has been found in North Carolina.

So I asked an emergency doctor if we should wear two masks.

Researchers are developing face mask stickers that can detect COVID-19 in drops

“This is a simple question and a very complex question,” said Dr. Graham Snyder of WakeMed.

Double masking is a technique that has been used in hospitals since the beginning of the pandemic, Snyder said.

The FDA approves the syringes to extract an extra dose from the COVID vaccine vials

“But in the medical field, we actually do it for a different reason than you think,” he said.

I do this so that I don’t constantly change my expensive N95 masks whenever a patient sneezes or coughs.

In this situation, you simply have to change the cloth mask worn over the N95 mask, Snyder said.

How the collection of unemployment during COVID-19 could affect the reimbursement of taxes

But at President Joe Biden’s inauguration last week, a large number of non-health workers were seen wearing two masks.

That made a lot of people wonder if they should be double masked as well.

“When you’re trying to protect yourself from the virus, what you want is less particles, less fluid on your face,” Snyder said. “If you wanted to add more layers, then obviously two masks would block more particles than one.”

Only 10 out of 4M vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine had severe allergic reactions, the CDC reports

However, he mentioned that doubling the masks does not double the level of protection.

“It will reduce the transmission of the virus by a small amount. It will not reach zero and it will not be a big leap, but it would help a little more,” Snyder said.

However, he is reluctant to insist that people double their masks, especially if those people find it harder to breathe or speak.

“What I don’t want to do is make people say this is too awkward, I won’t wear it at all,” he said.

So Snyder’s advice is to mask yourself twice, but only if he is comfortable.

He said the most important thing is vaccination when it’s your turn, because, he said, it’s the only thing that can end the pandemic.