What face masks work best?
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In Harris County, a mask order is in place that requires both employees and customers over the age of 10 to wear a face covering inside of businesses.
With the new requirement, ABC13 asked Dr. Stacey Rose of Baylor College of Medicine which masks should people be wearing and how should they be worn to ensure effectiveness.
First, Rose said make sure you're wearing the mask properly.
"You definitely want to make sure it's covering your nose and your mouth," she said.
From cloth masks to a medical mask, there are a variety to choose from.
So is one better than another?
"We don't have any data to suggest one is better," explained Rose. "As long as you're wearing a cloth face covering that really should be sufficient to protect others, which is really what these masks in public
are intended to do," said Rose.
But what about masks that promise increased protection or filtration? Are those really better?
"Just because a company [says] that it's X percent protected, unless it's been cleared by the FDA, it may be no better than a cloth mask," said Rose.
There's also N-95 masks, which are being reserved for health care workers.
Rose said the important thing is that we all do our part and practice safe social distancing and wear face coverings.
"It's our public duty to do everything we can to protect our friends, our families [and] our neighbors," said Dr. Rose.
