Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- With the Omicron outbreak continuing, some experts say it's time to reconsider your mask options, especially if you're still wearing a variety of fabrics.
CNN Medical Analyst, Dr. Lena Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, said: “Fabric masks are nothing more than just facial adornments. They have no place in the midst of the Omicron outbreak. ".
"This is what scientists and public health officials have been saying for many months, in fact," Winn added in a separate phone interview.
"We need to wear a surgical mask of at least three layers," she said, which is known as a disposable mask and can be found in most pharmacies and some grocery and retail stores.
She explained: "You can wear a cloth mask on top of that, but it is not enough to wear a cloth mask alone."
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Wayne added that KN95 or N95 masks should be worn in crowded places, which can be harmful Expensive, running to a few dollars each.
During the first several months of the pandemic, health experts discouraged the general public from buying N95 masks, because medical professionals were facing a shortage of personal protective equipment.
It has been several months since the supply of N95s became an issue,” said Wynne.
However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines have recommended people avoid N95 masks, and instead opt for masks with two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric, which Wen called a "major mistake."
She added that other countries, including Germany and Austria, had "changed their standards to recommend the wearing of a medical mask in public."
CNN has reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about its recommendations for N95s and cloth masks, and is still awaiting comment.
Another factor driving the change in mask-wearing recommendations is a better understanding of COVID-19 and how it spreads, said Erin Bromage, an associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The most effective masks, such as N95s, can filter out large droplets and particles that could potentially carry viruses from the air.
A cloth mask can contain up to 75% of internal and external leakage, which is defined by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists as “the percentage of particulate matter that enters the face covering” and “the percentage of particles emitted from a source that exits the face covering.” , respectively.
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N95 masks that are properly equipped and approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health can filter up to 95% of particles in the air, according to the CDC.
Surgical or disposable masks are about 5% to 10% less effective than N95 masks, depending on the classification of the American Society for Testing Materials.
He explained that the reason for the success of the Omicron mutant in infecting many people quickly is "currently unknown", but it only confirms the role that masks can play.
In studies of different types of masks, fabric masks with multiple layers and a higher thread count "showed superior performance compared to single layers of fabric with a lower thread count," but were still less effective than medical masks, according to the CDC.
And the CDC says that wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask, as Wynn suggested, can protect you better than others.
If all you have is a cloth mask, it's still better than nothing, but you're not well protected...if you're going into a crowded indoor space and all you have is a cloth mask, don't go," Wen said.
Wen suggested that if you are unable to purchase medical masks for any reason, go to locations that require and provide masks for free, such as some train stations, grocery stores, or businesses, and order a surgical mask.