DePaul’s campus mask mandate demystified

Cloth masks by themselves no longer fit the bill as acceptable COVID-19 protection on campus, DePaul announced last week.

Instead, students have three preferred options: Wearing a K95, a KN95 mask or  cloth mask layered over a disposable surgical one. Wearing a well-fitted surgical mask is also allowed but not ideal. The university said that the infectious nature of the omicron variant was a direct influence on its new, stricter mask guidance.

To help the campus community better understand each option, Radio DePaul News has assembled this helpful guide to navigating the world of masks.

N95 Masks

In terms of application and efficiency, the name says it all. According to Honeywell International, Inc., the “N” stands for “non-oil,” and the products are useful in filtering air free of oil particles — like most public environments and work spaces. The “95” refers to the fact that the mask filters 95% of airborne particles.

There are several different types of other respirators that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) certified as effective against COVID-19, but the N95 is most recommended. A list of CDC-approved N95 brands can be found here.

The CDC warns wearers of cloth masks that N95s may be cumbersome at first. If they’re the correct fit, N95s will form a seal around your mouth and nose when worn, which can make breathing feel more labored to those not used to wearing them.

N95s cannot be washed and must be discarded if they get worn out or soiled.

KN95 Masks

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), the names of respirators are specific to the country in which they were certified. N95s have all been certified in the U.S.; whereas, KN95s were all certified in China. Many KN95 brands have equal or similar efficiency to N95s, studies conducted by the OSDH showed.

Why buy a KN95 mask over an N95 mask? Access to N95s has fluctuated over the course of the pandemic, and KN95s were emergency approved to help fill the supply shortages, per the FDA. However, not all KN95s are equal and special care must be taken with their purchase.

The CDC found that about 60% of KN95 brands available to American consumers do not fit U.S. efficiency standards or are counterfeits masquerading under a trusted brand name. NBC 5 Chicago has put together a helpful guide from CDC data to instruct buyers on how to find trustworthy products and steer clear of the fakes.

DePaul has already begun to place KN95s in dispensers around campus. Due to their high demand, availability of masks at these locations may fluctuate. A list of dispenser locations on campus can be found at the end of this article.  

The KN95s being supplied by DePaul were made by Jiangxi Coashanhu Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd. The masks obtained by Radio DePaul News were manufactured in May 2020 and did not appear on a list of counterfeit KN95s published by the CDC on June 30, 2021.

Layered Cloth and Surgical Masks

By layering a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask, you are not only adding layers to increase the filtration of COVID-19 particles, but you are also creating a tighter fit. Surgical masks tend to fit looser, and cloth masks worn over them help tighten face contact with the edges of the disposable mask, increasing efficacy, per CDC guidance.

The main point of having the cloth mask over the looser surgical mask (and not the other way around) is the tightened fit. Therefore, the CDC does not recognize wearing one surgical mask on top of another surgical mask as an acceptable substitute for a cloth mask over a surgical one. Furthermore, cloth masks should never be worn over N95s or KN95s.