Researchers have discovered that wearing ladies’ tights on face masks can reduce your risk of getting Covid.
One of the criticisms aimed at commonly worn face masks is that they do not fit tightly enough to significantly block viral particles from being inhaled or exhaled. As part of a new study, Cambridge University experts reviewed a variety of DIY hacks people have used to make masks fit better, including using rubber bands or tape.
Curiously, they found the most effective tactic was to wrap pantyhose around the bottom half of the face, on top of a mask. This, the scientists disclosed, could reduce the number of viral particles by up to seven times more than a loose mask on its own, by sealing the gaps around the nose and mouth.
However, recognizing the social and physical implications of wearing tights on your face in public, they noted it was “unlikely to be tolerated for extended periods of time”.
Tight-fitting medical-grade masks, such as KN95s, are exceptional at blocking out the virus but they are often described as uncomfortable and are harder to acquire, researchers revealed. The most common, surgical or cloth masks are far less resistant.
For the latest study, published in the journal ‘PLOS One’, Cambridge researchers recruited four volunteers to try seven different mask hacks. Other methods included tying the ear bands to make the masks fit more tightly, or stuffing the gaps with bandages.
The study looked at both surgical and KN95 masks. While wearing each mask and hack combination, participants did seven minutes of various exercises designed to mimic real-world interactions. These included talking, turning their heads side to side, bending over, smiling, nodding, and breathing normally and heavily.
The researchers measured how well the masks fit by monitoring the filtration efficiency and calculating a “fit factor” score. The results showed better fitting masks have fewer gaps between a person’s face and the edge of the mask, ensuring the air inhaled is filtered through the mask.
Pantyhose and cloth tape were most effective at improving how well the KN95 mask fit, increasing the fit factor by 27.7 and 14.7, respectively. Meanwhile, using gauze to stuff the gaps between the face and KN95 masks only offered a “minor improvement” of 2.7. Also, using gauze on top of the KN95 covering barely improved the fit. Tying the ear bands of the KN95 mask only improved the fit by 0.8, because they already fit so tightly.
Surgical masks performed better if worn in combination with pantyhose, 7.2, or if the gaps were sealed using cloth tape 4.8.
Rubber bands and tying ear bands, 2.5, were the least effective way of getting a surgical mask to fit better, but still offered more protection than wearing the mask alone.
However, the researchers noted many of the hacks, including the most effective ones, were uncomfortable. Rubber bands put pressure on the ears and face and reduced blood circulation to the ears for some people.
Meanwhile, pantyhose gave volunteers “high levels of discomfort”, caused problems speaking, and sometimes covered the participants’ eyes during the exercises. While fabric tape was comfortable to wear, it was uncomfortable to remove and the researchers noted sweat or movement over time could dislodge the tape.
The researchers noted that the hacks are “accessible to the general public” and could help health workers, who commonly wear both surgical and KN95 masks, modify their masks to gain more protection.
The findings could also help designers to improve masks and mask fitting devices, the team recommended.
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