Which masks can best protect you as omicron spreads? Here’s what experts have to say
The new omicron coronavirus variant seems to spread more easily than past variants — and some experts have said it may be time to switch to a higher-quality face mask, if you haven’t already, to best protect yourself.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in guidance updated Monday, Dec. 20, that face masks offer protection against all coronavirus variants. It recommends that everyone, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, wear a face covering when in a public indoor setting in areas with high or substantial transmission rates.
As of Dec. 20, CDC data shows the vast majority of counties in the United States are experiencing high or substantial COVID-19 transmission. A high transmission rate means 100 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people have been reported in the past seven days. A substantial transmission rate means between 50 and 99 cases per 100,000 people have been reported over the same time period.
In general, the CDC recommends wearing a face mask that has two or more layers of breathable fabric, completely covers the nose and mouth, fits snugly and has a nose wire. The agency says not to wear masks made out of fabric that makes it hard to breathe, masks with exhalation valves or vents and “specially labeled ‘surgical’ N95 respirators,” which should be reserved for health care workers.
But experts have said some types of face masks are better than others as omicron spreads. Here’s what to know.
Which masks are best against omicron?
Any mask is better than no mask at all. But experts have said it may be time to ditch your cloth masks and opt for something of higher-quality that will offer better protection against omicron.
Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, said on CNN that “cloth masks are little more than facial decorations.”
“There’s no place for them in light of omicron,” Wen said on CNN. “And so wear a high-quality mask — at least a three-ply surgical mask.”
/Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, has also urged people to wear medical-grade masks because of omicron.
“We still need to mask — everyone,” Cohen said during a Dec. 20 news briefing. “Even if you’re vaccinated, you should wear a mask in public, indoor spaces, and if possible, wear a medical-grade mask for more protection. Medical-grade masks include surgical masks, procedural masks, a KN95 mask or an N95.”
Experts largely seem to agree that wearing an N95 or KN95 mask is the best option, especially if in a crowd. Surgical masks may be the next best option, Public Health Insider reported, followed lastly by cloth masks.
Double-masking can also boost your protection if you don’t have access to a KN95 or N95 mask, Dr. Christian Ramers, infectious disease specialist at Family Health Centers of San Diego, told KGTV.
When the delta variant started becoming the dominant variant in the U.S., some experts suggested wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask, McClatchy News previously reported.
About the omicron variant
As of Monday, Dec. 20, the omicron variant has been detected in most U.S. states and territories and is “rapidly increasing the proportion of COVID-19 cases it is causing,” the CDC says. Data on Wednesday, Dec. 22, showed that omicron now accounts for 73% of new infections.
Much is still to be learned about omicron. But early data suggests it can spread and evade vaccines more easily. It’s not yet clear whether omicron causes less severe symptoms.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel has said there’s a chance the company’s COVID-19 vaccine could lose some of its effectiveness against the omicron variant. But the company said Dec. 20 that a dose of its booster vaccine increased antibody levels against omicron.
Similarly, data has suggested that people who have received only two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine saw a reduction in antibody levels against omicron but that the booster shot may help protect against the variant.
Health officials have urged people to get a booster shot when they are eligible. People ages 16 and older should get a booster at least six months after receiving the two-dose series of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two months after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the CDC.
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Which masks can best protect you as omicron spreads? Here’s what experts have to say."
