The delta variant continues to create a surge in coronaviruses cases. Masks are becoming in vogue again. But what’s the best type of mask to fight off the delta variant?
What’s the best mask for delta variant?
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that wearing masks can help protect you against the delta variant. But the quality of masks is important, too. He mentioned that the KN95 mask or an N95 mask can protect you the most from the delta variant.
- “So it’s not more airborne and it’s not more likely to be permeable to a mask. So a mask can still be helpful,” Gottlieb said on “Face the Nation” show Sunday. “I think, though, if you’re going to consider wearing a mask, the quality of the mask does matter. So if you can get your hands on a KN95 mask or an N95 masks, that’s going to afford you a lot more protection.”
The quality of one’s mask matters in protecting against the COVID-19 Delta variant, @ScottGottliebMD says: “If you can get your hands on a KN95 mask or an N-95 mask, that’s going to afford you a lot more protection.” pic.twitter.com/WQHIInBxwW
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 25, 2021
Gottlieb said the KN95 and N-95 masks were in short supply during the beginning of the pandemic, according to The Hill. But now, they are more widely available and are recommended for most people.
- “So I would encourage people look at the quality of the mask and try and get their hands on a better quality of mask,” he said.
Will we need to wear masks again?
Several experts have called for mask mandates to return as the highly transmissible delta variant runs its way through the United States. We’ve seen it happen in different locations such as Los Angeles County and Austin, Texas.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House medical adviser on the novel coronavirus, told The Associated Press that the recommendations for vaccinated people to wear masks is “under active consideration” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top health officials in the U.S.
Last week, Jerome Adams, the former surgeon general during the Trump administration, told WISH-TV that mask mandates need to return to keep people safe.
- “We need to prepare the public for what could be, again, a return to some of these mitigation measures,” he said.