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Along with social distancing and frequent hand washing, mask wearing is one of our best defenses against COVID-19.
But as the Mayo Clinic warns, not all masks are created equal, and some can be downright dangerous.
In a policy posted on its website, the Mayo Clinic has outlined which mask types are welcome on clinic grounds, and which are banned.
Among their list of “acceptable masks” are homemade masks that cover the nose and mouth and surgical or procedural masks. The one mask type explicitly branded as “unacceptable” on the Mayo Clinic’s list? Any mask with vents. Their reasoning is simple. While vented masks may help keep particles away from the wearer, “masks with vents or exhalation valves allow unfiltered exhaled air to escape.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a similar warning, and has included vented masks on their own list of masks to avoid. The agency explains that “this type of mask may not prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to others. The hole in the material may allow your respiratory droplets to escape.”