TOLEDO, Ohio — Experts say face coverings work at slowing the spread of COVID-19, but with many types of masks available it can be difficult to know which is best.
There are disposable masks and cloth ones, as well as N95 masks, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other medical experts say offer the best protection.
"So the main thing with masks is two things. One, that they're worn consistently," ProMedica infection preventionist Brenda Naylor said. "The second is that it's well-fitted."
This means you don't want to have any gaps around your nose or on the side of your mouth when you're wearing a mask. Naylor said the thicker the mask, the more protection it offers.
"So you should be able to hold that mask up to the light and not see any light through it. That's going to tell you whether it's thick enough and has enough layers."
Nowadays, you can find a face mask from just about every retailer.
Richard Eppstein, president of the Better Business Bureau of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, said when ordering masks online, it is best to get them directly from the manufacturer.
If you'd rather pick them up in person, the federal government is beginning to roll out a free mask program in pharmacies around the country. Those give-aways offer the high quality N95 masks.
But Eppstein said there's another kind of masks that consumers must keep an eye out for: counterfeit ones.
"There apparently is a lot more attention being paid to the N95s," he explained. "Look folks, the scammers are always ahead of whatever situation is going on."
The CDC reports 60% of KN95s on the market do not offer the protection that they should and many may be counterfeit.
Eppstein said legitimate masks of this type must be labeled with the words KN95 or N95, the name of the manufacturer, and the standard it was tested against.
Naylor explained while the CDC recommends wearing an N95 face mask, she believes those masks best suited for specific situations.
"Granted, you can wear an N95 when you're out and about but then you have to keep it on and not take it off. It might cause you to feel more short of breath."
She said N95s are best when you're caring for someone who has COVID-19 or if you're immunocompromised.
Doubling up on disposable masks offers the next best level of protection and as long as they don't get wet, you can wear them a couple times before throwing them out.
MORE ON WTOL: