How do you face COVID-19 variants? By upping your mask game

Dr. Lisa Barrett shares her pro tips for taking your mask game from a C or a D to an A+

 

After a year of the new normal, most people have gotten used to the basics: social distancing, hand washing and wearing a cloth mask.

But now that a more transmissible variant of the COVID-19 virus is spreading, some people want to start taking even more precautions.

The idea of double-masking — literally, wearing two masks instead of one — is already gaining traction. But Dr. Lisa Barrett says that’s just one of the ways to get more out of your mask.

“The masking part is not just sort of important, but imperative now, that people go from a C or a D in their mask wearing, up to an A-plus game,” said Barrett.

Barrett is an infectious disease researcher and clinician at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She grew up in Old Perlican, N.L., and trained with none other than Dr. Anthony Fauci at the U.S National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

Now that her home province has seen an explosion of cases caused by a more transmissible variant of COVID-19, Barrett says we can no longer afford to be a little lax in the mask department: it’s time, she warns, to tighten up.

Here are three ways to do it.

Tip #1: Mask plus distance

“The best thing you can do is distance, plus a mask.” said Barrett. “Because sometimes we put on our mask and we feel like we’re completely protected. Not the case. The advice has always been, wear a mask and keep distance wherever you can.”

Barrett says she’s quite comfortable reminding anyone who gets too close that distancing is still important. “I’m not backing away from you because I don’t like you, I’m just going to keep my six feet, a little closer to two metres these days. And that’s really important, particularly inside, even when masked.”

Tip #2: What about double-masking?

“There’s a lot of debate as to whether or not double masking is the key,” she said. The idea is gaining some traction, but Barrett says the most important thing is to make sure your main mask is being worn properly.

“Before we go any further and add in two, three, four, five masks, none of them work unless they fit right.” said Barrett. Pay special attention to the sides of your mask. The fabric should be tight to your face, not loose and bunched up, leaving little holes on the sides where particles can go in and out (Barrett has a pro tip for keeping those edges tight. It’s a bit tricky, but check out the video above to see a demonstration).

Tip #3: One mask or two: It’s up to you

Barrett says better masking (and maintaining distance at the same time) is our best strategy against the new variants. But don’t let the debate around double-masking distract from what’s really important: That everyone wears at least one mask well.

“Just don’t yell at each other if one person’s wearing a double mask and one person’s not,” said Dr. Barrett. “We need everyone to feel comfortable with their own personal level of protection.”