Which Mask Should I Wear During the Pandemic?

I've linked a study from a couple of months ago that measured how far droplets (the tiny, invisible-to-the-naked-eye, bits coming from your mouth and nose that carry the virus) travel using various masks during normal speech. This study looked at mask effectiveness of the wearer preventing transmission to someone nearby (it did not evaluate the effectiveness of the wearing being protected). Here is the list, in order of efficacy as just described:

1. A fitted N95 (without a valve) was by far the most effective, preventing less than 1% of droplets from escaping

2. A 3-layer surgical mask

3. A cottone-polypropelene-cotton "apron" mask

4. A 2-layer polypropylene mask

5. A 2-layer cotton-pleated mask

6. An N95 with a valve

The following were nearly useless in their efficacy:

1. A double-layer bandana was only slightly better than no mask at all

2. The "gaiter" style mask actually increased droplet transmission by 10% (theoretically, the material split up larger droplets into smaller droplets that are more easily dispersed)

The last one is the one my son prefers, and I wish I had read this study earlier! That will definitely be changing, now.