Hayley Kilday
Staff Reporter
Double masking, what is it and why does it matter? Double masking in itself is a little self explanatory, it is when you wear two masks doubled on top of eachother.
This may even be the new thing but according to The New York Post and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) they are not for or against wearing two masks to further prevent the spreading of the Coronavirus. In fact, the CDC recommends if you do not double mask "wearing masks with two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric” is also a good alternative.
While there is no consensus on whether wearing two masks is effective, there are many opinions on the topic. Currently the CDC is studying, specifically, wearing a cloth mask over the top of N95 medical masks, and with the jump in COVID-19 cases plus the discovery of new, faster-spreading coronavirus strains in the U.S.
The CDC, the World Health Organization (W.H.O), and Maricopa County are usually the organizations that are looked to by Arizona hospitals and different health care centers, including senior homes, for guidelines. As of right now W.H.O and Maricopa County have not released their statement on double masking.
It is hard to implement wearing two masks especially in schools because the outer mask can hide the first mask so it can be hard to tell if a student is actually wearing two masks. It can also be hard to wear two masks because after wearing them for long periods of time it can start to be uncomfortable and extra restricting especially in sports where the players have to take in more oxygen. Though it is not an official school rule or a part of the dress code there has been speculation of implementing it.
Though there has been a lot of speculation towards double masking and if it will be implemented in daily life, it is just that, a speculation. It has not been confirmed or denied whether or not double masking will be the new ”thing”.
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