Wearing a neck gaiter may be worse than no mask at all, researchers find (stretchy thin material)

In a recently published study, the researchers unveiled a simple method to evaluate the effectiveness of various types of masks, analyzing more than a dozen different facial coverings ranging from hospital-grade N95 respirators to bandanas. Of the 14 masks and other coverings tested, the study found that some easily accessible cotton cloth masks are about as effective as standard surgical masks, while popular alternatives such as neck gaiters made of thin, stretchy material may be worse than not wearing a mask at all.

https://www.sfgate.com/lifestyle/article/Wearing-a-neck-gaiter-may-be-worse-than-no-mask-15475153.php

"Even very small particles can do this kind of (light) scattering," Warren said. "We were able to use the scattering, and then tracking individual particles from frame to frame in the movie, to actually count the number of particles that got emitted."

A fitted N95 mask, which is used most commonly by hospital workers, was the most effective, Warren said, noting that the mask allowed "no droplets at all" to come out. Meanwhile, a breathable neck gaiter, well-liked by runners for its lightweight fabric, ranked worse than the no-mask control group. The gaiter tested by the researchers was described in the study as a "neck fleece" made out of a polyester spandex material, Warren said.

"These neck gaiters are extremely common in a lot of places because they're very convenient to wear," he said. "But the exact reason why they're so convenient, which is that they don't restrict air, is the reason why they're not doing much of a job helping people."

The high droplet count could be linked to the neck gaiter's porous fabric breaking up bigger particles into many little ones that are more likely to hang around in the air longer, Fischer said in the video. This effect makes wearing them possibly "counterproductive," he added.

"It's not the case that any mask is better than nothing," he said. "There are some masks that actually hurt rather than do good."

Other types of face coverings that may fall into that category are bandanas and knitted masks, the study found. An N95 mask with an exhalation valve also failed to measure up.

"Those relief valves are fantastic if what you want to do is protect yourself from the outside world because air doesn't come in through them," Warren said. "If what you're trying to do in this pandemic is protect the outside world from you, it completely defeats the purpose."

Warren encouraged people to assess their face coverings with another basic test.

"If you can see through it when you put it up to a light and you can blow through it easily, it probably is not protecting anybody."

https://www.sfgate.com/lifestyle/article/Wearing-a-neck-gaiter-may-be-worse-than-no-mask-15475153.php