According to researchers, wearing ladies tights also known as pantyhose on your face could reduce the risk of getting COVID-19.
This comes as criticisms towards face coverings increase, with people saying they do not fit tightly enough to significantly block viral particles from being inhaled or exhaled.
As part of a new study, Cambridge University scientists reviewed the use of rubber bands, tape and panty hose to make masks for better on the fave and found out that the most effective tactic was to wrap pantyhose around the bottom half of the face — on top of a mask.
This could reduce the amount of viral particles by up to seven times more than a loose mask on its own, by sealing the gaps around the nose and mouth, scientists stated.
The report revealed that tight-fitting medical grade masks, such as KN95s, are good at blocking out the virus but they are often described as uncomfortable and are harder to acquire but Surgical or cloth masks are far less resistant to the virus but cheaper and more common.
To test how effective mask alterations are, Cambridge researchers recruited four volunteers to try seven different mask hacks on the KN95 mask and surgical mask . These included wrapping different brands of panyhose around the head on top of the mask and knotting the ear loops on the masks. They also use three rubber bands to create a ‘brace’ around the nose and mouth and fabric tape to stick the mask to the face. Volunteers also had first aid gauze wrapped around their head to tighten the fit of the mask, as well as gauze stuffed into gaps inside the mask
While wearing each mask and hack combination, participants did seven minutes of various exercises designed to mimic real world interactions.
The researchers found out at the end of the research that Pantyhose and cloth tape were most effective at improving how well the KN95 mask fit, increasing the fit factor by 27.7 and 14.7, respectively.
