In going to the trouble of wearing masks we might as well wear one that is effective in containing our droplet emissions.
Researchers at Duke University tested a total of 14 common face coverings and analyzed the number of particles that escaped. Their conclusion: the best option for the average person is to wear polypropylene masks or a homemade cotton mask with multiple layers while bandanas are little help and neck gaiters made of polyester spandex material actually produced more particles than speaking with no face covering at all.
Dr. Martin Fischer, Ph.D., from Duke University, developed a simple, low-cost technique to visualize the effectiveness of different face coverings on droplet emissions during normal wear. Testing several face coverings, the researchers found that the particles can be blocked by some, but not all recommended face coverings. Here is a direct video link.
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