It can be more effective at preventing the spread of the virus.
Dr. Fauci has been called a showman for parading around in two face masks after having been vaccinated. The American infectious disease expert, who turned 80 this past December, was inoculated against the coronavirus with his first dose of the Moderna mRNA vaccine on December 22, 2020 and his second, four weeks later.
The first dose of vaccine is said to provide a person with about 80% protection against COVID-19. This being said, Dr. Fauci has been seen wearing not just one, but two face masks as he goes about his business. Is that all really necessary?
First, let’s point out that Fauci isn’t the only one doing this. Amanda Gorman, Pete Buttigieg and many others have been documented doing the same. And there is some research that points out doubling up could be a good practice.
Why do a double dose of masking? The coronavirus variants are becoming more and more widespread. That’s one reason. So, even though you may have already been vaccinated against the virus, researchers don’t really know for certainty what can happen. Science to date has proven the vaccines provide some protection against the variants, but they don’t seem to provide full protection. For example, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine vaccine dropped to being just 64% effective against the South African variant when tested in a lab.
So, some people aren’t taking any chances. Why risk getting sick?
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Science Backs it Up
Even if you have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, you can still contract it, while not falling sick. If you are around someone who has it, you can “catch” the virus. You then carry it in your nose, and can infect someone else, even if you don’t know you have it. So, wearing a mask (or two) protects you against being a carrier of the coronavirus. It helps stop you from potentially spreading the virus around to people who haven’t had the chance to get their vaccine.
Finally, research proves it makes a difference. While wearing one mask is great, two is even better. According to a post on CNBC.com, research has shown it is best practice to wear a surgical mask underneath a cloth one. The cloth mask holds everything in place tightly and the surgical mask acts as a filter. If you cannot get your hands on an N95 face mask, which is said to provide optimal protection against the virus, and you are going to be in a place where physical distancing is not possible and circulation may be poor, wearing two face masks can provide you with the extra protection you may need.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you wear a mask with a minimum of two layers of fabric that are tightly woven, (ie, no crochet or fleece).
Will we go for three layers? Who knows. Mask up and help stop others from falling sick, as well as yourself.
photo credits: learesphoto/Shutterstock.com
