Masks made with common household fabrics help prevent the spread of viruses like Covid-19 as researchers have found that they are considerably effective at blocking droplets similar to those that may be released by speaking, coughing and sneezing, even as a single layer.
For the study, published in the journal Extreme Mechanics Letters, the researchers examined the effectiveness of common household fabrics that ranged from new and used garments, quilted cloths, bedsheets and dishcloth material in blocking droplets.
Aerosol particles are typically classified as less than five micrometers, and lie in the range of hundreds of nanometers.
However, larger droplets — up to about one millimetre in diameter — can also be expelled when an individual speaks, coughs or sneezes.
