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Coronavirus question: Are two masks better than one?

We've seen some people double up on masks, but are two masks really better than one? Newswatch 16's Nikki Krize spoke with a doctor to find out.

Ten months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world looks very different. The debate surrounding masks continues. Some people refuse to wear them, while others are now doubling up. But are two masks really better than one?

"The main thing that we're trying to get out with the masks is trying to prevent the respiratory droplets from spreading the COVID virus, so I think that one mask should be sufficient," said Dr. Karl Luxardo, Geisinger's director for community medicine for Columbia and Montour Counties.

Dr. Luxardo says wearing two masks is not necessary.

"I don't think it would make it worse, but I do think that you could end up having some difficulty with breathing and some difficulty with respiratory issues. That would be my biggest concern."

Dr. Luxardo wants to stress that it's more important to wear your mask correctly over both your nose and mouth.

"If you don't wear the mask appropriately, you're not really preventing anything."

A question that dr. Luxardo frequently gets, "Should I still wear a mask after I get my vaccine?"

He says yes, at least for right now.

"Asymptomatic spread is one of the things that we're really trying to prevent. It's really been a big issue. To be honest with you, once you get the vaccine, we're not 100 percent sure if you have an asymptomatic case if you would still spread it."

So, for now, Dr. Luxardo recommends we all continue to wear one mask and wear it properly.

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