While the
CDC is expected to issue an advisory for fully vaccinated Americans to resume
wearing masks while indoors in certain public settings due to a rise in
COVID-19 cases, a question arises that what is the kind of masks that are
effective against the Delta variant that is largely responsible for the surge
in the United States.

A former
FDA official has suggested certain types of face coverings may offer better
protection against the infectious variant for those who have to return to
wearing masks.

“It is
not more airborne and it is not more likely to be permeable to a mask. The quality
of the mask does matter. So if you can get your hands on a KN95 or N95 mask,
that’s going to afford you a lot more protection, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former
FDA commissioner, told CBS’s “Face the Nation”.

Gottlieb
said that while the country faced shortages of masks early in the pandemic, they
are now more widely available so he would encourage others to “look at the
quality of their mask.”

Both the
KN95 and the N95 masks are designed to filter 95% of the particles they
encounter.

The CDC
recommends the N95 masks in medical settings and has previously said the 60% of
the KN95 masks in the country are counterfeit. These masks do not meet the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards, according to
CDC.

The CDC has
not advised any particular kind of masks for better protection against the variant, and instead suggests choosing a mask with two or more layers of
washable, breathable fabric completely covering the nose and mouth. Masks
should fit against the side of the face without gaps, and have a nose wire to
prevent air from leaking out of the top.