Going for gold
Which COVID-19 masks deserve a medal?
The CDC updated its masking guidelines in January 2022. If the different COVID-19 masks were to compete in Olympics-like games of effectiveness and safety, which one would go home with the gold?
The Juice team spoke to Shalika Katugaha, MD, system medical director of Infectious Diseases at Baptist Health, about the different mask options available.
“In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, cloth masks were often the only option for non-health-care personnel as we reserved surgical masks and N95s for frontline workers,” Dr. Katugaha said. “Now, we have options, and it’s important to use the best option available to you and upgrade the mask when appropriate.”
Additionally, new research suggests medical masks like N95s or KN95s offer protection to the wearer, even if he or she is interacting with someone who is unmasked.
Below are some mask options, ranked gold, silver and bronze.
At Baptist Health, we want to help keep our community informed about COVID-19. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, visit baptistjax.com/covid19vaccine.
