Neck gaiter
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A neck gaiter, or neck warmer, also known as a buff,[1] is an article of clothing worn about the neck for warmth. It is a closed tube of fabric, often thick fleece, merino wool, synthetic wicking, or knit material, which is slipped on and off over the head. It can also be pulled up over the mouth to keep out wind and sand. Some balaclavas have a thin hood attached to what is essentially a neck gaiter; these are commonly known as shellaclavas.[2]
Informal medical uses
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, some media and governmental entities have included neck gaiters among apparel items for non-medical personnel to use to shield against viruses, when conventional personal protective equipment is unavailable. Examples have included WebMD[3] and Riverside County, California health officials.[4]
In 2020, a method was developed which allowed researchers to visualize the effect of masks blocking droplet emission during speaking.[5] The study found that a neck gaiter made from thin stretchy polyester appeared to be ineffective at limiting airborne droplets as it splits the larger droplets into smaller ones that are longer airborne; Isaac Henrion, one of the co-authors, said that the result is probably due to the material rather than the gaiter style.[6] The study looked at one wearer[7] to test one neck gaiter made from thin porous fleece.[8] However, media outlets claimed that neck gaiters are worse than not wearing masks at all in the COVID-19 pandemic, misinterpreting the study which was intended to demonstrate a method to test masks (and not actually determining the effectiveness of different types of masks).[7] Warren S. Warren, a co-author, said that they tried to be careful with their language in interviews, but added that the press coverage has "careened out of control" for a study testing a measuring technique.[7]
References
- ^ Guinness, Harry (January 18, 2020). "A buff is indispensable, and you absolutely need one". Popular Science. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ "Styles & Silhouettes | Since 1982 | Turtle Fur®". www.turtlefur.com. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ Hansa D. Bhargava, MD (April 16, 2020). "Coronavirus Face Masks: What You Should Know,". WebMD.
- ^ Luke Money; Deborah Netburn; Rong-Gong Lin II (April 2, 2020). "Face masks could provide coronavirus protection. But there's a 'but'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ Fischer, Emma P.; et al. (August 7, 2020). "Low-cost measurement of facemask efficacy for filtering expelled droplets during speech". Science Advances. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd3083. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ Krubsack, Rachel. "Gaiters getting a bad rap for COVID-19 protection?". J. J. Keller.
- ^ a b c Lambert, Jonathan (12 August 2020). "4 reasons you shouldn't trash your neck gaiter based on the new mask study". Science News.
- ^ Baskar, Pranav (13 August 2020). "How Should I Cover My Face? A Deeper Look Into Neck Gaiters And Face Shields". NPR.
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