The mantra “wear your mask” could soon be “wear your masks” as experts say two can be better in high-risk situations.
While healthcare workers often wear more than one – also so they don’t have to touch their faces to change them – some are encouraging the public to layer up.
Even Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to US President Joe Biden, said wearing two masks could help slow transmission of the coronavirus.
Dr Fauci himself often doubles up, as has Mr Biden in the past.
If you are not sure about the quality, then use two masks
"If you have a physical covering with one layer and you put another layer on it, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective," Dr Fauci told CNBC's Today show in the US.
Countries around the world are grappling with more infectious variants of the virus. Governments have introduced new lockdowns and travel restrictions to limit their spread. Vaccines have brought hope the pandemic could be ending but mask-wearing will still be vital for the foreseeable future because it is not clear whether inoculation prevents transmission.
Experts have also cautioned that masks limit the spread of infection rather than protecting the wearer from catching the virus.
Dr Ponnusamy Tamilvendan, specialist for internal medicine at Medeor Hospital in Dubai, said the answer to the question over how many to wear depends on the type.
An N95 mask, which refers to a US standard that blocks 95 per cent of particles, is believed to be the best.
Another option is a surgical mask, which is made from three layers, followed next by cloth masks, which are the least efficient at filtering virus particles.
“If you wear an N95 mask, I don’t think anything more is needed,” said Dr Tamilvendan.
“But if you are wearing something flimsy like a cloth mask, adding another offers better protection.
“Surgical masks don’t offer full protection. So you can wear two if you are exposed to very contaminated areas. But if you are wearing an N95, that is enough, even in contaminated areas.”
Dr Shreehari Pillai, medical administrator and specialist in internal medicine at NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, said two masks are sometimes necessary in countries such as the US, where people tend to use cloth masks.
“What we use here is the surgical masks. Surgical masks already have three layers inside and they are medical grade. A single surgical mask is good enough,” he said.
“Otherwise there is no superiority, because the outer layer of the mask is usually waterproof. And if you put a cloth mask on top of it, it can interfere with it.”
It can, however, be hard to know whether a mask in the UAE is medical grade, as many of them have patterns, rather than the standard surgical blue colour.
“It should be indicated on the packet. Preferably, if you buy it from the pharmacy it should be medical,” said Dr Pillai.
Experts have consistently said mask wearing was only effective along with distancing and handwashing. Analysis from the US also outlined the benefits of “double-masking”. Its authors included Linsey Marr, a virus transmission expert at Virginia Tech.
The report said for maximum protection, members of the public can either wear a cloth mask tightly on top of a surgical mask or wear a three-layer mask “with outer layers consisting of a flexible, tightly woven fabric that can conform well to the face and a middle layer consisting of a nonwoven high-efficiency filter material (eg, vacuum bag material)”.
“If the masks fit well, these combinations should produce an overall efficiency of >90 per cent for particles 1mm and larger, which corresponds to the size of respiratory aerosols that we think are most important in mediating transmission of Covid-19,” the analysis said.
Dr Tamilvendan said if there is any uncertainty, there is no harm in doubling up.
“If you are not sure about the quality, then use two masks,” he said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShare%20price%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETarget%20raise%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%248%20billion%20to%20%2410%20billion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProjected%20valuation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2460%20billion%20to%20%2470%20billion%20(Source%3A%20Bloomberg)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELead%20underwriters%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Barclays%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%20Group%2C%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20and%20Mizuho%20Financial%20Group%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
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Rating: 5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
