Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, first spoke about the idea of double masking during an interview with NBC’s Today show.
During the interview Fauci said that a mask “is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus” from entering the human body.
“You put another layer on it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective. And that’s the reason why you see people either double-masking or doing a version of an N95,” Fauci, who also serves as President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said.
Fauci’s initial comments on double masking came as the U.K. variant of COVID-19, identified as the B.1.1.7 was found in at least 20 states, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Fauci also spoke with WUSA 9 news in Washington, D.C., last week and was asked again about the idea of double masking.
In response to being asked if he believes people “should” be wearing multiple masks to fight the virus, Fauci said, “I would take the word ‘should’ out from that and say that the CDC recommends that you wear a mask.”
“A lot of people are putting in on two masks. I’ve done that myself. And the reason is, you can have common sense and say if it’s a physical barrier, maybe I’d feel more comfortable,” Fauci continued. “The reason why the CDC hasn’t changed the recommendation is that they don’t have the scientific evidence to say that two are better than one. But if a person wants to put on two masks, I see no reason to tell them not to.”
While the CDC has not issued updated guidance, urging Americans to wear multiple masks, they have reported that the new variants of the virus spread more rapidly. A recent study in the journal Matter, supported the theory of double masking, as it found that a nylon layer worn over a surgical mask improved the filtration of virus particles by up to 90 percent, with a range of 53 percent to 75 percent.
In addition to Fauci, several other medical professionals have also discussed the idea of double masking. While speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Dr. Michael Osterholm, COVID-19 adviser to Biden, said, “If you add on another mask, you may actually make it tougher for the air to move through the two-cloth area, and then at that point it causes more air to actually leak around the sides, which actually enhances your ability to get infected.”
Newsweek reached out to the CDC and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
