Mask for Covid-19 protection range in construction material from spandex to cotton/poly jersey knits and woven fabrics. These masks are helpful in keeping the natural droplets humans create when speaking from spreading into the air. But they are detrimental in that they prevent others from seeing the wearer’s expressions. And this is even more of a detraction for the deaf or hard of hearing. They often depend somewhat or completely on reading the motions of the lips and tongue to identify what is being said by others.
Now, with the advent of the clear mouth masks, the lips, in addition to our full facial expressions can be seen while our mouth and nose are covered. The clear mouth mask is constructed so that a clear, often plastic cover is over the mouth, while a solid breathable material covers the nose and the balance of the face.
This construction allows for the necessities of air reaching the nostrils, so you can breathe. It also allows the skin around the face to be exposed to the movement of air to prevent sweating. Because the plastic only covers a small portion of the mask, air is still able to filter in through the pores of the fabric around the plastic.
If the clear mouth mask is made to sit on top of the face to issues may result. One, fog may easily develop inside the mask. Two, your lips may sweat. The best-case scenario is a mask that sits some distance, at least 3/8 of an inch away from the lips. It also helps if the plastic widow is an anti-fog plastic as well.
Beware of the completely clear face masks. They cannot allow air in to be effective. For you to stay alive, you must be able to breath. Therefore, these masks cannot fit tightly around the face. They must allow air to get in, therefore the virus can easily get past the barrier of your mask. The best clear mask will have a balanced construction of a material that breathes over the nose and cheeks and the plastic only over the mouth.
Since time began, human communication has included facial expression as well as sound. Eliminating that total line of communication has been a detriment. Now that the Covid-19 has necessitated the need for masks, a clear view of the mouth has brought communication back to what it was originally meant to be.
