Choral groups around the globe have been silenced during the COVID-19 pandemic. A choir director from the United States came up with a way to ensure the show can go on – or at the very least, the rehearsals.
A director of choral activities at West Virginia University invented a “performer’s mask” that allows choir members to sing without the muffling effects of a standard face mask.
Face masks are an important part of getting choral groups together again here in Canada and in other parts of the world. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that choir practices have been identified as super-spreading events.
The Sing-Safe face masks have a cupped shape that holds the fabric about 10 cm away from the nose and mouth. The rest of the mask should fit close to avoid any pockets of air.
When testing the safety of the modified face masks, it was carried out by West Virginia University’s Center for Inhalation Toxicology which was worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with organizations such as hospitals and the West Virginia National Guard to test the safety of different face coverings.
It found that the masks scored better than the standard fabric masks in preventing droplets from getting in or out.
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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/cloth-face-coverings-information.pdf