Video compares droplet sprays when wearing different masks -- and no mask at all

Researchers compared the sprays of droplets we spew out of our mouths when wearing a one-layered cloth mask, two-layered cloth mask, surgical mask, and no mask at all -- while talking, coughing, and sneezing.

Mashable sums up the findings succinctly:

The study's big takeaways are:

When talking, wearing even a single-layer mask significantly limits the exhalation of droplets.

For coughing and sneezing, a double-layer mask is much more effective than a single-layer mask.

Generally, the more layers a mask has the better. The researchers suggest "at least three layers" and found surgical masks performed best in this study though not everyone has access to these masks.

For more details read the published results in Thorax. Read the rest