A highly efficient cloth facemask design

Wearing masks and face coverings helps reduce transmission of respiratory diseases. Much prior research on mask filtration efficiency has focused fabric type, with less consideration given to design shape. Here, we present evidence that increasing the mouth-mask separation distance engenders an increase in mask-fabric toward expiratory aerosols emitted via vocalization, which attribute a decrease jet velocity expansion breath-mask contact area. We further assess performance new reusable cloth facemask design, originally made for, but not exclusive to, professional singers having large distance. With proper fitting, these achieve overall filtering efficiencies >93% for both exhaled >0.5 microns diameter from singing speaking inhaled ambient aerosols, better than surgical approaching N95 respirators. Air exchange between deadspace environment limits extent CO2 buildup air maintains O2 levels near ambient. The also provides inhibited mouth jaw movement lower relative humidity, suggesting it may provide more palatable, high-efficiency alternative medical-grade public.Copyright © 2021 American Association Aerosol Research