Given that there are new, sometimes more contagious, variants of the world’s best-known coronavirus spreading in Ulster County, is it time to add a second mask on top of the first? There are no official recommendations along those lines, but New Paltz town officials are giving the opportunity for municipal employees to wrap it twice, if that’s what they choose.
Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the president, called adding a second mask “common sense” in an interview on the Today show; the reasoning is that more layers of fabric will add more protection. No formal recommendation has come out from the Centers for Disease Control, but the suggestion to wear even one face covering wasn’t formally made until July 14, 2020. “The federal agency was late to recommend mask wearing in the early stages of the virus’s spread. Non-CDC health officials and communicable disease experts see a benefit to wearing two, particularly in confined and congregate settings,” according to a memo sent to town employees on February 4.
A supply of disposable surgical masks is available for town workers, according to the memo: “Wearing two masks is an employee option at this time but they’re available now. To wear, a surgical mask is put on first, fitted appropriately and then is covered with a cloth mask you may have. Two surgical masks can also be worn increasing protection twofold.”
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