Reference:
Experimental Design
This experiment had two parts, but only one was relevant to this graphic. Check out the first half of the experiment here.
Following instructions given by the researchers, 21 volunteers made their own face masks out of 100% cotton T-shirts. Next, they put on the cloth masks and coughed into a sealed box that contained a few petri dishes for sampling large droplets. The researchers measured the amount of bacteria and viruses in the air and on the petri dishes.
The steps were repeated two more times, but with the volunteers wearing surgical masks and no masks.
Following instructions given by the researchers, 21 volunteers made their own face masks out of 100% cotton T-shirts. Next, they put on the cloth masks and coughed into a sealed box that contained a few petri dishes for sampling large droplets. The researchers measured the amount of bacteria and viruses in the air and on the petri dishes.
The steps were repeated two more times, but with the volunteers wearing surgical masks and no masks.
Results
Wearing a mask PROTECTS:
- When the volunteers didn’t wear masks, the sampling box caught around 200 microorganisms. This includes anything like viruses and bacteria
- When the volunteers wore cloth masks, the sampling box caught 43 microorganisms.
- With surgical masks, the sampling box caught 30 microorganisms.
What does this mean?
The average cloth mask is slightly less protective than a surgical mask. But each mask also has some additional pros and cons that you should consider. When paired with social distancing and good hygiene, either is good!
|
Up Next: How to safely put on a mask?
|
