N95 Masks Nearly Perfect at Blocking COVID, UMD Study Shows

Researchers Found Even Lower-Performing Masks Were Protective

“The researchers also found that—in what might come as a surprise to many—cloth masks outperformed the specific brand of KN95 mask that was tested. Surgical masks brought up the rear in performance out of the four types, but even they blocked 70% of the virus, the tests showed. (To reflect the general public's use of masks, study volunteers were not fit-tested for their masks or trained how to properly wear them.)

‘The research shows that any mask is much better than no mask, and an N95 is significantly better than the other options. That’s the No. 1 message,’ says the study’s senior author, Donald Milton, a professor of environmental health and a global expert on how viruses spread through the air.”