Since COVID-19 started, there has been confusion about how to wear a disposable surgical mask correctly. But does wearing face masks the wrong way around affect their ability to capture viruses?
Some online sources claim it doesn’t matter, like this one.
Surgical masks are made up of 3 layers, and there is a specific way to wear them: with the colored, rough-textured side out.
But does the direction you wear it actually affect its ability to capture viruses? Smart Air tested sub-micron particle capture to see whether the orientation of a surgical mask really affects performance.
Testing Surgical Mask Efficiency from Both Sides
To test the surgical masks, we used the same wind tunnel setup that was used for our homemade mask materials tests. In that setup, a fan on one side of a wind tunnel pushes air through the mask on the other end. There, a Met One GT-521 laser particle counter measures how many particles penetrate the mask.
We tested the blue side and white side of four surgical masks.
We measured what percentage of particles 0.3 microns and above they could capture. Although COVID-19 is 0.12 microns on average, scientists sampled air in hospitals and found that SARS-CoV-2 sometimes travels on aerosols from 0.25-0.50 microns.
Read More: Are Wet Masks Less Effective?
Surgical Mask Blue Side vs. White Side Results
Across four masks tested, putting the mask in the correct direction improved particle capture by 1.7% on average. On one mask model, the improvement was nearly 3%.
Although these numbers are pretty small, wearing a face mask the right way will increase its effectiveness at capturing virus-sized particles.
Read More: Do DIY Cloth Masks Protect Us From COVID-19?
Remember: Rough Blue Side Out, Soft White Side In
This data backs up the claim that the colored side of surgical masks (typically blue or green) should face out. The softer white layer should face in.
Bottom Line: Surgical Mask Direction Affects Performance
Wearing surgical masks with the wrong side out decreases filtration of 0.3-micron particles by 1.7% on average. Remember to wear your surgical mask the right way–show the world your colors!
WHAT NEXT?
Along with wearing masks, air purifiers with HEPA filters are also one of the best ways to stay safe from a variety of pollutants in our air including viruses and dangerous PM2.5. A recent CDC study confirmed significantly lower COVID-19 infection rates in schools that used HEPA air purifiers. HEPA filters can significantly lower the risk of a variety of deadly diseases including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure.
Read More: Four Steps to Choosing the Best Air Purifier
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