NEW YORK - TelAve -- As the demand for face masks and coverings skyrocketed over the last several weeks, so did the number of individuals and businesses designing, making, and creating their own fabric masks. This was great — it filled a sudden consumer need, gave people income, and most importantly, it meant people had the masks they needed to go out of their homes safely.

But now that access to medical-grade disposable masks has opened up again, it's time to reassess which is better for your health. Because that's what it's about.

Need a face mask refresher? Check out our Face Masks 101.

Disposable or fabric?

This decision might seem like a simple one, but there's a lot more at stake than the old school, "paper or plastic?" Fabric masks are basically not worth their weight in… fabric. Untested and unregulated, fabric masks are not too far off from not wearing any face covering, and infectious disease experts have not been shy about their feelings on the subject. You might feel protected with that handmade and/or fashion-forward mask, but it's not protecting you — and it's not protecting the people around you.

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It's all about the air

As the research comes out, it looks more and more like airborne transmission of COVID-19 is the most common way the virus is spread. When people cough, sneeze, and even sometimes just breathe, the air around them is filled with microscopic droplets. If you're carrying the virus (whether you realize it or not), it's those droplets that will latch onto others and cause infection. What helps fend off those airborne droplets, or aerosols? A nice, well-fitting, and multi-layered mask. Specifically, a KN95 mask.

Why fabric doesn't cut it

A fabric mask doesn't do the things a high-quality surgical mask like the KN95 can do, and the two most important things to think about here are easy to remember: Fit and Filtration.

Fit is about how well the mask fits your lovely face. If there's a gap between the fabric and your face (whether around the nose, the sides, or anywhere), that means aerosols carrying the virus could potentially walk right in. After all, they're not pulling up in a Lambo — they're sneaking in the back door.

Filtration is about the integrity and quality of the material that is actually covering your nose and mouth. There have been quite a lot of studies around this, measuring the viral load when infected patients coughed with no mask, with a fabric (cotton) mask, and with a surgical mask. We don't have to tell you that the surgical mask outperformed the others for limiting the spread of the virus. Surgical and KN95 masks have multi-layer protection that's been proven effective, and we can provide you both at wholesale prices.

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Function over fashion

As New York City and the tri-state area begin to reopen, it's more important than ever to wear a face covering when you're out in public. Don't put fashion or convenience above your health.

Protect yourself and the people around you when you wear a high-quality disposable mask.