{"id":36914,"date":"2020-12-28T13:23:08","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T20:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=36914"},"modified":"2025-05-06T11:26:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:26:14","slug":"should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"college
A Kn95 mask, like this one worn by this college student, is considered a better face mask than a cloth mask in protecting one against COVID-19. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Rick Ansorge, for UCHealth<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks were in short supply.<\/p>\n

Masks were reserved for those at highest risk of infection \u2013 health care workers and first responders.<\/p>\n

For others, the conventional wisdom<\/a> about face masks has been that any face covering, even a single-layer cloth mask, is better than nothing.<\/p>\n

The rationale was pretty simple. Since many COVID-19 cases are spread by asymptomatic<\/a> people, it was thought that even a basic mask could prevent the wearer\u2019s virus-laden droplets expelled by coughing, sneezing, speaking and laughing from escaping into the wider world. Indeed, early data showed that many types of masks could decrease transmission of the virus.<\/p>\n

We knew that the best face mask \u2013 the N95, a respirator that provides 95% protection \u2013 was in such short supply that it was reserved exclusively for front-line health workers. Among the general public, it was almost impossible to find.<\/p>\n

Should I get a better face mask?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Times have changed. Ordinary people now have some access to the N95, which can cost up to $5 each. More readily available at mass merchandisers such as Amazon is the N95\u2019s equivalent: a certified<\/a> KN95 respirator.<\/p>\n

Like the N95, the KN95 is designed to filter out 95% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size. The disposable KN95 costs between $2 and $3 each.\u00a0 But it\u2019s a vast improvement over most commercially available masks, many of which are more decorative than protective.<\/p>\n

Now that COVID-19 is resurgent nationwide, causing record numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, an increasing number of experts are telling the public that it\u2019s time to banish the bandana and similarly ineffective face coverings and buy a better mask. They say that this one simple step could dramatically improve outcomes as people await the arrival of approved medical treatments and vaccines.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, a comfortable surgical grade N95 mask (or its equivalent) is going to be one of the best options,\u201d said Dr. Ian Tullberg<\/a>, medical director of UCHealth Urgent Care locations throughout Colorado.<\/p>\n

Cloth face masks and multiple layers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"A
Dr. Ian Tullberg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although Tullberg personally finds cloth masks more comfortable than the N95 or its equivalent, he understands why infectious disease specialists won\u2019t let him wear one when he\u2019s in the clinic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just doesn\u2019t protect nearly as well,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s just the porous nature of these cloth masks. They allow much larger particles to go through and that\u2019s exposing you even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

The effectiveness of a mask is dependent on its tolerability<\/a>, he explained. \u201cMasks aren\u2019t just there for droplet protection. They\u2019re also there to help us from touching our face, rubbing our nose, getting our mucus on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comfortable to wear<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If people can\u2019t wear a higher-quality mask without constantly scratching at it, readjusting it, or taking it down, another type of mask that can be left in place for extended periods of time actually may be more protective, he said.<\/p>\n

One option is a multi-layered cotton mask, which offers more protection than a single-layer mask. Another option is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved surgical mask<\/a> \u2013 the kind worn by doctors and nurses \u2013 not the look-alikes which are essentially dust and allergen filters. A surgical mask with an FDA rating of level two or three can filter out about 60% of viral particles.<\/p>\n

Find a secure fit<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In general, it\u2019s best to choose a mask with headbands that ensure a snug fit around the face. Masks with ear loops often fit loosely around the face, leaving gaps that cause air leakage.<\/p>\n

If you can tolerate a tight-fitting KN95, which is the Chinese equivalent to the N95, or an FFP2, which is the European equivalent, that\u2019s probably your best option, especially when you\u2019re in high-risk settings such as supermarkets and public transportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly the more expensive, higher quality masks will protect you better,\u201d Tullberg said.<\/p>\n

The FDA initially granted many KN95 and FFP2 masks emergency use authorization (EUA). But the agency later removed a number of these respirators from the list after the CDC\u2019s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that they did not offer comparable protection to a certified N95.<\/p>\n

You can see if your face mask has emergency use authorization by checking the FDA and NIOSH websites. In addition, the CDC publishes an extensive list (with images) of counterfeit and falsely marketed respirators that may be as little as 5.3% effective.<\/p>\n

One of the KN95 masks that has retained its FDA emergency use authorization is the Powecom KN95, which has received favorable reviews. \u00a0On Amazon, it costs $22-26 for a 10-pack.<\/p>\n

\"two
There are better face mask options out there than gators or bandanas, which stop less respiratory droplets and may be harder to keep over the nose and mouth. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CDC guidelines on doubling up<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In theory, wearing two or more masks at the same time may seem to increase your amount of protection, Tullberg said. But most likely that\u2019s a counter-productive strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CDC is not recommending doubling up on masks at this point. At UCHealth, we are really encouraging people not to do that. More layers don\u2019t mean more protection. In fact, it could possibly make things worse because you\u2019re messing with your masks way too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can have trouble breathing,\u201d he explained. \u201cIf you put on too many masks, it is going to cause more constriction against your face. You\u2019re going to get more mucus on it, which causes it to degrade.\u201d<\/p>\n

His best advice: \u201cJust use a high-quality single mask.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rick Ansorge, for UCHealth At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks were in short supply. Masks were reserved for those at highest risk of infection \u2013 health care workers and first responders. For others, the conventional wisdom about face masks has been that any face covering, even a single-layer cloth mask, is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":36917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4859,4860,330,392,257],"class_list":["post-36914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-infection-control","tag-infection-prevention","tag-virus-prevention"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy might it be time to get a better face mask? - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Does a gator protect me from COVID-19? Are adjustable ear loops effective? Is it time to get a better face mask? We asked our expert.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Does a gator protect me from COVID-19? Are adjustable ear loops effective? Is it time to get a better face mask? We asked our expert.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-28T20:23:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-06T17:26:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/12\/28131343\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"UCHealth Writers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"UCHealth Writers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"UCHealth Writers\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b42635b22028b4761efa8849bfec3811\"},\"headline\":\"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-28T20:23:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-06T17:26:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":991,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/28131343\\\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"coronavirus\",\"COVID-19\",\"Infection control\",\"Infection prevention\",\"Virus prevention\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why might it be time to get a better face mask? - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/28131343\\\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-28T20:23:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-06T17:26:14+00:00\",\"description\":\"Does a gator protect me from COVID-19? Are adjustable ear loops effective? Is it time to get a better face mask? We asked our expert.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/28131343\\\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/28131343\\\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533,\"caption\":\"A Kn95, like this college student is wearing, is considered a better face mask for protecting one against COVID-19. Photo: Getty Images.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b42635b22028b4761efa8849bfec3811\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Writers\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7e908f81c51be4709fddf41493942c85900762f0c10e3bc19d1ee8dc5bf0f223?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7e908f81c51be4709fddf41493942c85900762f0c10e3bc19d1ee8dc5bf0f223?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7e908f81c51be4709fddf41493942c85900762f0c10e3bc19d1ee8dc5bf0f223?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"UCHealth Writers\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/uchealthwriters\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why might it be time to get a better face mask? - UCHealth Today","description":"Does a gator protect me from COVID-19? Are adjustable ear loops effective? Is it time to get a better face mask? We asked our expert.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?","og_description":"Does a gator protect me from COVID-19? Are adjustable ear loops effective? Is it time to get a better face mask? We asked our expert.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2020-12-28T20:23:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-06T17:26:14+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/12\/28131343\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"UCHealth Writers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"UCHealth Writers","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/"},"author":{"name":"UCHealth Writers","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/b42635b22028b4761efa8849bfec3811"},"headline":"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?","datePublished":"2020-12-28T20:23:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-06T17:26:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/"},"wordCount":991,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/12\/28131343\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp","keywords":["coronavirus","COVID-19","Infection control","Infection prevention","Virus prevention"],"articleSection":["Healthy living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/","name":"Why might it be time to get a better face mask? - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/12\/28131343\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp","datePublished":"2020-12-28T20:23:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-06T17:26:14+00:00","description":"Does a gator protect me from COVID-19? Are adjustable ear loops effective? Is it time to get a better face mask? We asked our expert.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/12\/28131343\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/12\/28131343\/Getty-mask-college-student-tiny.webp","width":800,"height":533,"caption":"A Kn95, like this college student is wearing, is considered a better face mask for protecting one against COVID-19. Photo: Getty Images."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/should-i-get-a-better-face-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Should I get a better face mask to protect against COVID-19?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/b42635b22028b4761efa8849bfec3811","name":"UCHealth Writers","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e908f81c51be4709fddf41493942c85900762f0c10e3bc19d1ee8dc5bf0f223?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e908f81c51be4709fddf41493942c85900762f0c10e3bc19d1ee8dc5bf0f223?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e908f81c51be4709fddf41493942c85900762f0c10e3bc19d1ee8dc5bf0f223?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"UCHealth Writers"},"url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/uchealthwriters\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":22,"name":"UCHealth Writers","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/uchealthwriters\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36914"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83078,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36914\/revisions\/83078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}