The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says teachers should not wear N95 respirators to school this fall, but a scientist at Duke University says that advice makes “no sense.”
And at least one local school district will not allow staff members to wear N95 masks brought from home.
But the administration’s current guidance on face masks for teachers has one scientist scratching his head.
Dr. Martin Fischer, Ph.D. developed a simple, low-cost technique to visualize the effect of face masks on droplet emissions during normal wear.
What caught some teachers off guard was the district’s decision to ban the use of N95 masks, even on a voluntary basis.
“We would recommend people continue to wear their cloth face coverings,” said Traci DeSalvo, director of communicable diseases for DHS.
“It makes me frustrated that people aren’t taking the risks that teachers are going to be exposed to seriously,” she said. »