A 2020 study showed that pantyhose can help a person protect himself from a viral infection, particularly, the COVID-19 virus.
As specified in a Vice News report, after testing various methods "to make masks seal" better and more effectively around the face, researchers discovered that the said pair of hosiery can do the trick best.
In her article, the news site's Samantha Cole said she recently "came across a selfie from April 2020," where she was wearing a mask that was only a bandana folded up and secured with hair ties to create a "sad, limp origami face covering."
It is hard to believe, she wrote, that this was the then viral personal protective gear scheme to wrap a linty old piece of cotton around her face to go for some grocery shopping.
Back then though, continued Cole, not even the health care professionals could get their hands on a piece of mask.
She added these were only the ad hoc hacks made up to stumble through what she described as a horrifying, confusing time.
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A better seal around the masks’ edges means more protection from the coronavirus infection, although most consumer-level surgical masks and N95s are leaving gaps around the sides.
Several Other Techniques Tested
In 2020, scientists from the University of Cambridge began to test out some of the approaches people might adjust face masks so they could fit well on their faces. The findings of the study came out as a peer-reviewed study in the PLOS ONE journal.
A better seal around the masks' edges means more protection from the coronavirus infection, although most consumer-level surgical masks and N95s are leaving gaps around the sides.
As earlier mentioned, the study investigators surveyed different hacks that attempt to fill the gaps, on both surgical and KN95 masks. These seven ways include:
1. Taping the mask's edges on the face of an individual.
2. The so-called "mummy" method or binding the mask to the face using gauze.
3. Filling the mask's sides with gauze.
4. Putting rubber bands around and front to make a brace against the mouth.
5. Placing a knot in the ear loops.
6. Putting a piece of pantyhose to wrap around the face.
All of the aforementioned were better compared to nothing when tested by gauging concentrations of particles that exist inside and around the mask.
The one that made the best seal though, was the pantyhose. The researchers cut a portion out of the thigh of some hose and tugged it over the head and mask of the wearer.
Effective Yet Uncomfortable Techniques
Essentially, the stretchy fabric's pressure kept the mask on tight. However, a similar DC Weekly report said, there was a catch and that is, people really hated wearing the undergarment.
In their research, the study authors wrote, "the pantyhose caused high levels of discomfort," not to mention the issues speaking and occasional obstruction of the eyes.
According to the paper's first author, Eugenia O'Kelly, for most of the hacks, comfort was a major problem. For instance, the rubber bands tended to put a hurting pressure on the face and ears, to the point where they blocked circulation to the ears.
Nevertheless, employing an effective yet uncomfortable hack may make good sense in certain high-risk conditions where the discomfort is worth it for additional protection, although it would be more difficult to wear such hacks day in and day out.
Related report on the most effective face masks is shown on CBC News's YouTube video below:
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