FAQ: How do masks work?
Through aerosol physics, masks help prevent droplets that could contain germs and viruses from reaching the user’s mouth and nose. Non-woven material in the mask creates complex pathways that catch most particles. The largest particles are caught quickly in the fibers. The smallest - at about 100th of a width of a human hair - move at faster speeds, and collide with and get stuck in fibers in the mask.