by Penka Arsova
LaCorte News
Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm says that wearing more than one mask at a time likely does more harm than good.
How we got here: Last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, endorsed the method of double-masking as a more efficient way for people to protect themselves against infection.
Fauci, who is also President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, suggested that more layers ensure better protection because masks are meant to prevent respiratory droplets from getting through.
“I mean, this is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus[es] to get in. So if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,” Fauci said during his appearance on NBC News’ “TODAY” show. “That’s the reason why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N95.”