#surgical-mask

#surgical-mask

It looked like 2020 on the streets of New York City this week, as many residents unearthed their pandemic masks to protect against air that smelled, tasted, and looked smoky due to raging wildfires in Canada.Masking during periods of poor air quality is not a new concept, even in the U.Sbut it used to be a novelty when it happened.

For the second day in a row, the eastern U.S. was enveloped in a hazy beige smog that blocked the skies and sun of early summer.Countless tiny particles from the raging Canadian wildfiresmeasuring 2.5 microns or less in width (30 times the diameter of a human hair)are polluting the air.In New York City, levels of these particulates have soared to nearly 60 times the recommended guideline established by the World Health Organization, according to data collected by IQAir.

Today's the day to put that mask back on.As smoke from wildfires in Canada drifts over large parts of the United States, the best thing to do to prevent breathing in pollutants on Wednesday is to stay indoors.For many people, of course, that's impossible.So if you do have to brave the outdoors, putting on a mask is the next best thing.