GIR’s silicone masks can be used as fitters for extra protection over a cloth or procedural mask.

NEW YORK, February 17, 2021 -- The CDC has expanded its mask recommendations to include double masking and the use of mask fitters to improve the fit of cloth and medical procedural masks. In fact, their studies indicated that using a mask fitter secured over a medical procedural mask reduced potentially infectious aerosol exposure by over 90%, versus as little as 51% when using a cloth mask alone. A tightly fit mask or double mask reduced exposure by about 95%. The science is clear: it’s time to make our masks better.

Kitchen utensil brand Get It Right (aka GIR) debuted its silicone mask kits in March 2020 as part of the first wave of response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its masks, which come with five patent-pending electrostatically charged filters, can be used as standalone protection. But they also make excellent mask fitters for use over cloth face coverings or surgical masks. For those who love the feeling or fashion statement of a cloth mask, or the simplicity of a disposable surgical mask, the extra protection afforded by a silicone mask fitter could be the difference between infectious exposure and narrow escape.

“We’re encouraged by the new, strong guidance from the CDC that masking can be even more effective by taking a step as simple as double masking or using a mask fitter,” says GIR’s founder, Samantha Rose. “Mask fitters are probably an unfamiliar concept to many, and we’re glad to have a solution already on the market as they trend toward mass adoption. Using a GIR mask as a mask fitter is one of the best ways we can continue to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.”

As emphasized by the New York Times, “transmission of the virus can be reduced by up to 96.5% if both an infected individual and an uninfected individual wear tightly fitted surgical masks or a cloth-and-surgical-mask combination.” GIR’s face mask kits provide an ideal solution, helping to tighten mask fit and providing impermeable coverage over much of the face. Furthermore, silicone is easy to sterilize; the mask covers can be quickly wiped down with a disinfectant on the go—meaning that a brief viral exposure doesn’t have to sit around on your cloth mask all day just waiting to be inhaled.

GIR’s mask kits are available at GIR.co/masks, HomeDepot.com, and at Lowe’s online and in-store nationwide.