Good Question: Should I use a valve mask?

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WHEC) — Our good question Tuesday is: do valve masks actually help filter your breath?

Turns out not all masks are created equal, especially when it comes to masks with valves.

Those masks are professional grade and are meant to protect you against fumes, chemicals, or dust.

But that’s only coming in, they don’t filter your breath on the way out. Which is a huge concern when it comes to stopping the spread of COVID.

The other issue, people like wearing masks with valves. That’s because letting your breath escape makes it more comfortable and drier.

"When you have a valve in that mask with a valve it allows you to exhale and allows you to exhale particles of the virus, which can then be spread to others," said Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist from UCLA. "It might make it more comfortable for you, but the problem is that it defeats the purpose of preventing the spread to other people."

If you have a question you’d like answered, email GoodQuestion@whec.com.