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CDC Study Shows Double Masking Could Reduce COVID Exposure By 95-Percent

BOSTON (CBS) – The CDC has released new research showing double-masking can better protect people from COVID-19.

The agency found that if done properly, wearing two masks can reduce exposure to infectious particles by 95%.

The CDC said the best protection comes from a cloth mask tightly fitted over a medical-grade mask or when a surgical mask has knotted ear loops to bring the material closer to the face.

"The science is clear," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "Everyone needs to be wearing a mask when they are in public, or when they are in their own home but with people who do not live in their household. This is especially true with our ongoing concern about new variants spreading in the United States."

Adding a filter to a cloth mask or putting a nylon gaiter over a cloth mask could also be effective.

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