Various ways have been done to break the chain of coronavirus infections. In Indonesia, the government has used various methods, from the implementation of social distancing to conducting rapid tests for those who are at risk of COVID-19. Not only that, along with the increasing number of patients, the government also imposed PSBB (Large-scale Social Restrictions) in several regions in Indonesia, including Jakarta.

During the PSBB period, everyone is required to wear a mask when they want to do activities outside the home. The increasing demand for masks on the market makes it hard to find. Therefore, many people who turn to cloth masks. At present, there are many cloth masks with various materials that we can find. However, which fabric is the best to reduce the risk of infection?

According to the results of a study conducted by the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, cloth masks made from a combination of cotton, chiffon, and silk are the best to filter aerosols or droplets. In their study, researchers tested the filtration ability of cloth masks made from cotton, chiffon, flannel, silk, spandex, satin, and polyester, individually or combined with each other. To see its effectiveness, researchers exhaled particles sized 10 nanometers to 6 micrometers at the same speed as a person's breath.

As a result, a cloth mask with a combination of cotton and chiffon is known to have the best effectiveness with a filtration ability of up to 80-99%. Researchers claim that the performance of the mask is comparable to the N95 mask commonly used by the medical team. In addition to a combination of cotton and chiffon, a combination of cotton with silk or flannel can also be your choice. In addition to fabric, make sure you have a mask that is the right size for your face. Loose masks can reduce their effectiveness by up to 50%.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Konda, A., Prakash, A., Moss, G.A., et al (2020). Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks. ACS Nano, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c03252.
• Medical News Today - What material is the best for homemade masks? (2020). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-material-is-best-for-homemade-masks, 4 May  2020.