Dr. Fauci Says Wearing Two Masks Makes ‘Common Sense’ and Is Likely ‘More Effective’

The CDC has not officially recommended double masking, but Dr. Fauci told NBC that an adding an extra mask is likely "more effective" in stopping the spread.

January 25, 2021

We all know that wearing a mask is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But what about two masks?

Since the start of the pandemic people have sported cloth masks over disposable ones for an extra layer of protection, and Dr. Anthony Fauci recently confirmed that the method is “more effective” against stopping the spread.

"If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective," Fauci said on NBC News' TODAY. "That's the reason why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N-95."

Double masking may be especially helpful in slowing the spread of more transmissible new strains. The CDC has not officially recommended wearing two masks, but U.S. health officials do advise folks to wear a cloth mask with three layers of a surgical or N95 mask.

According to NBC, studies have shown that multilayer cloth masks can block up to 70 percent of droplets that could spread coronavirus. Disposable surgical masks are reportedly even more effective and N95 masks filter 95 percent of airborne particles, so putting them together may be a winning combination.

Last week, President Biden signed executive orders that require people to wear masks in airplanes, trains, buses, airports, and on federal property.