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by SirLuxuryYacht 2292 days ago
The main goal is minimizing leaks and making sure air flows through material. While a bandana would not be totally ineffective, there's room for innovation:

> A Hanes Heavyweight 100% preshrunk cotton T-shirt (made in Honduras) [...] was boiled for 10 minutes and air-dried

> A commercially available N95 respirator requires a fit factor of 100

> The prototype mask achieved a fit factor of 67

> We showed that a hand-fashioned mask can provide a good fit and a measurable level of protection from a challenge aerosol. [...] When made by naive users, this mask may be less effective because of variations in material, assembly, facial structure, cultural practices, and handling

From "Simple Respiratory Mask" (2006) http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1206.051468

edit: formatting