Mask Information

Page updated 4/19/22 at 9:05 am

When to Wear a Mask or Respirator

Layered prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines and wearing masks — can help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.

You may choose to mask at any time.

You may choose to wear a mask or respirator that offers greater protection in certain situations, such as when you are with people at higher risk for severe illness, or if you are at higher risk for severe illness.

It is important to wear a mask or respirator when you are sick or caring for someone who is sick with COVID-19. When caring for someone who is sick with COVID-19, a respirator will provide you the best level of protection.

Wearing a well-fitting mask while you travel can help protect you and others.

Know the COVID-19 Community Level where you live

COVID-19 Community Levels are a tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data.

Low

Wear a mask based on your personal preference, informed by your personal level of risk

Medium

If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness
- Talk to your healthcare provider about additional precautions, such as wearing masks or respirators indoors in public
If you live with or have social contact with someone at high risk for severe illness, consider testing yourself for infection before you get together and wearing a mask when indoors with them.

High

Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status or individual risk (including in K-12 schools and other community settings)
If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness
- Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection

Who should not wear a mask?

Masks should not be worn:

By a child under 2 years of age
By someone who cannot wear a mask safely, such as someone who has a disability or an underlying medical condition that precludes wearing a mask
In a situation when wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty as determined by the workplace risk assessment

For more information from the CDC on wearing a mask and personal protective equipment in healthcare workplaces, see Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

What different types of masks are there? What should I look for when choosing a mask?

You should wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.

Some masks and respirators offer higher levels of protection than others, and some may be harder to tolerate or wear consistently than others. It is most important to wear a well-fitted mask or respirator correctly that is comfortable for you and that provides good protection.

Cloth Face Coverings/Masks

Cloth masks can be made from a variety of materials There are many types of cloth masks available.
What to look for when selecting and wearing a cloth mask:
- Made of multiple layers of tightly woven, breathable fabric.
- Make sure it blocks light coming through the fabric if held up to a bright light source.
- DO NOT wear a cloth mask with exhalation valves or vents since they allow respiratory droplets containing the virus to escape.
- Choose a cloth mask that fits snugly around your face. Many cloth masks have adjustable ear loops or ties. Some masks have a nose wire that can help improve fit.
- Depending on how they fit and how they are made, cloth masks vary in how well they can protect you and others from getting and spreading COVID-19.
Additional Considerations:
- A cloth mask can be layered on top of a medical procedure mask (forming a "double mask") for improved fit and filtration. Using a mask fitter or brace may also help to improve fit.

Procedure Masks (aka Surgical Masks or Disposable Face Masks):

Medical procedure masks (including surgical masks) intended for community use are commercially available and are often sold as “disposable face masks.”
What to look for when selecting a disposable face mask:
- Check the labels to ensure that they are made of multi-layered, non-woven material
- Choose a mask that fits snugly around your face. Disposable masks often fit loosely, and poor fit can cause gaps around the nose and along the sides of the face, where respiratory droplets containing the virus can leak in and out. Some have adjustable ear loops and a nose wire that can help to improve fit.
- Disposable masks are designed for one-time use.
Additional Considerations:
- A medical procedure mask can be layered underneath a cloth mask (forming a "double mask") for improved fit and filtration. Using a mask fitter or brace may also help to improve fit.

Respirators (N95/KN95/KF94 Masks)

When choosing a respirator, look at how well it fits and read the manufacturer's instructions. These instructions should include information on how to wear, store, and clean or properly dispose of the respirator. Respirators have markings printed on the product to indicate they are authentic, see appropriate N95 markings and KN95 markings.
It is important for respirators to form a seal to the face to work properly. Gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask. Gaps can be caused by choosing the wrong size or type of respirator or when a respirator is worn with facial hair.
It is important to determine if your respirator fits properly. NIOSH and OSHA have developed a video and factsheet demonstrating how to determine if the respirator fits properly (user seal check) and how to properly put on and take off a respirator. The information in the video and factsheet about how to use an N95 respirator also applies to international respirators, like KN95 respirators.

Alternative Masks for Special Situations

Clear masks or cloth masks with a clear plastic panel are an alternative type of mask that may be helpful when interacting with certain groups of people, such as:

People who are deaf or hard of hearing
Young children or students learning to read
Students learning a new language
People with disabilities
People who need to see the proper shape of the mouth for making appropriate vowel sounds

The FDA cleared for marketing a transparent medical mask. These transparent medical masks should be reserved for use by healthcare workers and patients who require them.

If you use this type of mask, make sure

You can breathe easily
Excess moisture does not collect on the inside of the mask

Ways to Increase Mask Protection: Improve Fit and Filtration

Improve the fit of your mask to help prevent air (potentially with respiratory droplets containing the virus) from flowing freely around the edges of the mask instead of forcing air to flow through the mask.

Improve filtration to cause more respiratory droplets (potentially containing the virus) to be captured by the mask.

How to Improve Fit:

Ensuring that masks fit well on the face is very important to help prevent getting and spreading COVID-19. A common problem with some masks is that there can sometimes be gaps between the mask and the mask wearer’s face. When there are gaps, air with respiratory droplets containing the virus can leak in and out around the edges of the mask (on the top or the sides). To help prevent air leakage, masks should fit snugly against the sides of the face and not have gaps.

Nose Wires:
- Many masks containing a metal strip or nose wire along the top of the mask to prevent air leakage at the top of the mask. Nose wires can also prevent fogging of eyeglasses. To get a good fit, bend the nose wire over your nose to conform the mask to your face.
Mask Fitters and Braces:
- These devices can be used over a medical procedure mask or a cloth mask to improve the fit by reducing air leakage from around the edges of the mask.
Ear Loops/Head Straps:
- Adjust the ear loops so the mask fits snugly against the side of your face.
How to Check Mask Fit:
- Check for gaps by cupping your hands around the outside edges of the mask. Make sure no air is flowing from the area near your eyes or from the sides of the mask.
- If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath.

How to Improve Filtration:

Another important step to increase the protection offered by your mask is to improve filtration. Masks capture respiratory droplets containing the virus when the wearer breathes out, blocking them from reaching the outside air and protecting others. They also serve as a barrier to protect the wearer by capturing respiratory droplets containing the virus breathed out by others, so that the wearer does not breathe them in. A mask with improved filtration will stop more respiratory droplets containing the virus from getting inside your mask if others are sick or escaping from your mask if you are sick.

Layering:
- Adding more layers of material to a mask (layering) is a good way to reduce the number of respiratory droplets containing the virus that come through the mask. One layering strategy is to use a cloth mask that has multiple layers of fabric. Another strategy is to wear two masks or a “double mask.”
Improve Mask Fit and Filtration by Wearing Two Masks (Wearing a “Double Mask”)
- Wearing a second mask on top of a first mask (to create a “double mask”) can:
  - Improve fit by pressing the inner mask closer to the face, thereby reducing the amount of air that leaks around the edges of the masks.
  - Improve filtration by adding more layers of material to reduce the number of respiratory droplets containing the virus that come through the masks.
- One way to do this is to wear a medical procedure mask underneath a cloth mask. A recent study conducted in a laboratory found that this “double mask” combination provided much better protection to the wearer and to others as compared with a cloth mask by itself or a medical procedure mask by itself.
However, there are some mask combinations that should not be used to “double mask.”
- Do not combine two medical procedure masks to create a “double mask.” Medical procedure masks are not designed to fit tightly and wearing a second medical procedure mask on top of the first medical procedure mask does not help to improve the fit.
- Do not combine a N95/KN95/KF94 mask with any other masks. You should only use one N95/KN95/KF94 mask at a time, and you should not use any type of second mask on top of or underneath a N95/KN95/KF94 mask.

Things to Watch Out for When Improving Mask Fit & Filtration:

Take into account the following considerations when improving mask fit and filtration:

Ensure the following:
- Breathing is not difficult
  - Breathing might take more effort when wearing a mask that fits and filters better. For example, it might require more effort to breathe when wearing a “double mask.”
- Vision is not obstructed
  - Adding an extra layer or mask could block vision. Reduced vision could lead to trips, falls, or other injuries.
Try it at home first:
- Try out any potential techniques for improved mask fit and filtration at home before trying it out in public. For example, try walking around the house or outside for several minutes while wearing a mask with improved fit and filtration to assure that you can breathe comfortably and that your vision is not reduced.
Special considerations for children who may have difficulties with techniques for improved fit and filtration :
- Children younger than 2 should not wear any masks.
- Children 2 and older should always wear masks in a public setting or when they are around people who do not live with them.
- Some children (age 2 and older) may tolerate wearing one mask without any problems but may not be able to tolerate improved fit and filtration techniques.

What you need to know about wearing a mask:

When wearing a mask:

Before putting on a mask, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Make sure the mask fits snugly but comfortably
- It should cover your mouth and nose, with no gaps between your face and the mask
Do not touch your mask while wearing it
- If you do touch the mask, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
If your mask gets damp, replace it with a new one
If you must re-wear your mask, wash your hands immediately after putting it back on and avoid touching your face
When taking off your mask, be careful to not touch your eyes, nose and mouth
- After removing the mask, immediately wash your hands

To clean/wash a reusable cloth face covering/mask:

Wash your cloth face covering frequently, ideally after each use, or at least daily
Have a bag or bin to keep cloth face coverings/masks in until they can be laundered
Wash your cloth face coverings/masks with detergent and hot water and dry them on a high heat cycle

Hand Washing a reusable Cloth Face Covering

If you don't have access to a washing machine, you can hand-wash your cloth face covering.
- Wash your mask with warm tap water and laundry detergent or soap
- Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water
- Hang to dry or lie flat
- Make sure the cloth face covering is completely dry before wearing

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