The number one recommendation during a pandemic is to wear a protective mask in public places. However, doubts remain about the effectiveness of reusable and homemade masks: what if, when sneezing and coughing, COVID-19 carrier particles can overcome the insufficiently dense tissue?
Scientists at the University of Illinois have tested a range of masks from a wide variety of materials to determine how effective they are in fighting the potentially deadly virus, Profil magazine reports.
Materials included in the study included used and new clothes, tea towels, sheets, and blankets.
The results have been quite encouraging. Tests have shown that even one layer of tissue is «more than effective» in blocking droplets up to 100 nanometers in size. However, experts emphasize, it is best to make masks from two or more words of fabric: they block drops almost at the level of medical masks.
