The difference between cloth face coverings and hospital masks is that homemade masks are not FDA regulated.
Homemade masks can reduce the chance that the wearer transmits the virus to other individuals, but they doesn’t necessarily protect the wearer.
“Hospital masks are regulated and protects the wearer by forming a barrier to the virus itself or body fluids that contain the viruses,” says Dr. Kamo Sidhwa, infectious disease specialist at Advocate South Suburban Hospital.
There is no sound data about which type of homemade masks offer the most protection.
“I would recommend any homemade mask that fits over an individual’s mouth and nose and which fits snugly with no gaps but not so tight fitting that it is difficult to breathe,” Dr. Sidhwa says.
