When No One Around Uses One... Does the 'Solo Mask' Work?

You Must Wear High-Quality KF94 Masks... Proper Wearing Method Is Also Important

The federal district court in Florida ruled to invalidate the federal government's mandate requiring mask-wearing on public transportation and at transportation hubs. Meanwhile, on the 19th (local time), mask guidelines were still displayed at Green International Airport in the United States.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] As countries around the world take different approaches, such as lifting or considering lifting mask mandates, there is growing interest in how effective wearing a mask alone in a place where no one else is wearing one can be in preventing infection.

The New York Times (NYT) recently reported that while the infection prevention effect of masks is best when everyone wears them together, wearing a mask alone in a situation where no one else is wearing one still provides protection, highlighting ways to achieve high prevention effects with a "solo mask."

According to the report, mask-wearing is most effective when everyone around is wearing one. When a COVID-19 positive person wears a mask in a crowded place, the amount of infectious particles released decreases, lowering the chance of infection.

There have also been many cases reported where masks protect the wearer even when those around them are not wearing masks. The NYT cited a cluster infection at a hotel in Switzerland in 2020 as an example. At that time, employees and guests who wore only face coverings without masks tested positive for COVID-19, but those who wore masks in the same space were not infected.

The level of protection varies depending on the quality of the mask and how well it fits the user's face. According to research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the protection effect of surgical masks was only 7.5%, but when the surgical mask’s straps were tied to fit snugly on the face, the effectiveness increased to 65%. Wearing a cloth mask layered over it raised the effectiveness to 83%.

Health experts recommend wearing high-quality masks such as N95, KN95, or KF94 to prevent the stealth Omicron (BA.2) variant, which is significantly more contagious than other COVID-19 variants.

There is also a Japanese laboratory study showing that blocking effects vary by mask type. The study found that cloth masks provided 17?27% protection, surgical masks 47?50%, loosely worn N95 masks 57?86%, and tightly worn N95 masks 79?90% protection.

Professor Lindsey Ma of Virginia Tech said, "Laboratory research consistently shows that high-quality medical masks like N95, KN95, and KF94 are the most effective," and recommended wearing high-quality masks whenever social distancing is not possible or when no one around is wearing a mask.

Meanwhile, the government announced that it will decide early next month whether to continue outdoor mask-wearing.

On the 20th, Jeon Hae-cheol, the 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) and Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said in a CDSCH meeting, "The importance of wearing masks remains high," and added, "After a thorough evaluation of the quarantine situation and collecting expert opinions, we will decide in early May whether to continue wearing masks outdoors."