Seeing Is Believing – A New Study Shows Homemade Face Coverings In Visual Research

Depending on what type of mask or face covering you wear for COVID-19 you still may have to social distance. A new study from Florida Atlantic University shows non-surgical face coverings effectiveness through visualization.

The researchers simulated a person coughing or sneezing to capture the release of droplets with a face-covering visually. To do so they used a mannequin, a laser light sheet, a mixture of distilled water and glycerine to make the synthetic fog.

In the video you can see how far the droplets travel without a mask and then with homemade face coverings. What the study showed was without a mask droplets can travel well beyond the six feet the CDC suggests. The bandana was least effective at providing protection from spreading the coronavirus. Droplets traveled 3 feet and 7 inches with the bandana face covering, with a folded cotton handkerchief the droplets traveled 1 foot and 3 inches.

The best homemade face-covering was the stitched quilted cotton mask. The droplets from the mannequin sneezing or coughing only traveled 2.5 inches. They also used a cone mask from CVS in the experiment, the droplets traveled 8 inches.

So make sure you are wearing a good face covering and make sure it fits and is not too loose on your face. Be mindful bandanas are not a good option. If that is all you have then work with it but make sure you practice social distancing.

Check out the visual study Seeing Is Believing by FAU

Source: fau.edu