We thought we were almost done with masks. Then omicron hit, reminding us that even with vaccines, COVID is likely to stick around as an endemic, resurfacing with new variants. And so cyclical masking ...

Standard surgical masks don’t fully seal around a person’s face, allowing for more participle exposure. But simply adding two rubber bands may improve the seal and offer N95 respirator-level ...

Researchers have tested a variety of popular hacks for improving the fit of KN95 and surgical masks, and found that while some hacks do improve fit, they can also come at the cost of the wearer's ...

A simple modification to a surgical mask using rubber bands can improve its protective seal against particle exposure to the level of an N95 respirator, a study suggests. Throughout the COVID-19 ...

Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. As health officials scramble to minimize spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, many experts have recommended that ...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and when maximum protection is needed against air-born infections, the N95 respirator has remained the gold standard of personal protective equipment. However, it is ...