What to know about the CDC's double-masking recommendation

Lab tests with dummies showed a decrease of 95% in exposure to aerosols when either a cloth mask was worn over a surgical mask or a surgical mask was worn with knotted ear loops and tucked-in sides, with the extra material close to the face, according to advice issued Feb. 10 by the CDC.

No. Executive orders signed last month by President Joe Biden mandate covering one's face on federal property and while on transportation such as trains, planes, buses and rails. The orders do not specify the number or masks or layers, only that the face be covered.

Meanwhile, New York State’s masking mandate, which began in April, applies to public places where physical distance is not possible. That mandate says the mask must be cloth and cover the nose and mouth.

The N95 mask — the "N" signifies "non-oil" and the "95" means that it's 95% efficient in filtering particulates that are not oil-based — is still the gold standard of protection from pathogens like the coronavirus, as the coverings prevent liquid and airborne particles from contaminating the face. But, the CDC doesn’t want them to be used by the general population because it says they are "critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders to prevent supply shortages."

KN95 masks employ similar technology as N95 masks. The difference is that an N95 mask is certified in the United States and a KN95 mask is certified in China.

Yes, says John T. Brooks, medical officer for the CDC’s COVID-19 response. Brooks told the Washington Post: "It may not be the right solution for everybody," adding that for some people, wearing two masks can impede breathing or obstruct peripheral vision that could lead to a fall and result in injury.

When masks and other face coverings first began to be recommended, the CDC and other public health authorities said that masks protect only other people, not the people covering their faces. But now, the consensus is that covering your face protects both parties.

Yes, until spring 2020, when the scientific consensus began to change over how the coronavirus is spread. Initially, research had not yet established that the virus could be spread by people who did not have symptoms. Once it was clear that asymptomatic spread was helping to drive the pandemic, the advice changed and universal masking was recommended.

On July 14, the CDC affirmed that face coverings were a "critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease." The CDC affirmation, in an editorial, pointed to two studies — one of a Boston hospital system, and another showing that masks worn by infected hair stylists in Missouri prevented transmission of the virus to their customers.