Dr. Ed, Dr. Patton discuss mask effectiveness

EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE) - Dr. Ed Dominguez, an infectious disease specialist, and Dr. Theresa Patton, an OB/GYN, joined East Texas Now to answer viewer questions about COVID-19.

The omicron variant is leading to large amounts of new COVID-19 cases. Dr. Ed and Dr. Patton discussed different types of masks and what are the most effective.

Dr. Patton said “the mask that is going to work for you is the one that you will wear and having worn my fair share of N95s and poorly fitted KN95s, I know that I am going to be more frustrated and probably take it on and off more often than I would the mask that I feel comfortable with which is the surgical tuck and tie.”

Tuck and tie is what Dr. Patton calls the method of modifying surgical masks to make them more effective. She demonstrates, “so fold it in half if you didn’t watch last week, tie it on the ends, right up against the mask, and then when you put it on loop it over the ears first, pinch it around the nose and then tuck these little pockets into the side.”

Doctor Patton said N95s and KN95s will be the most effective. Regarding cloth masks she said “I’m starting to feel like they’re useless and not only that, they’re uncomfortable if you wear glasses your glasses fog, the cloth masks, the only time I think they are beneficial is if you put them over a surgical mask.”

Doctor Ed agreed and also stressed the fact that masks of any kind should ideally only be used for one day before switching, “you shouldn’t use them more than one day before you rotate out or clean them or do something. Have a Monday mask, a Tuesday, one for each day of the week of sorts, or if you are just going to have two or three cloth masks you have to wash them.”

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