The idea of double masking has been floating around for a few weeks. But now officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are weighing in.

The CDC just released results of a new study that found that double masking offers more protection for the wearer against COVID-19. But that’s not all: The CDC’s experiments also found that there are other ways to make your mask more efficient, and it largely revolves around fit.

The CDC conducted lab tests with dummies and found that exposure to potentially infectious aerosols decreased by about 95 percent when both dummies wore tightly fitted masks. Those face coverings included a cloth face mask over a “medical procedure mask,” like a surgical mask, and a surgical mask with knotted ear loops and tucked-in sides.

The CDC also found that the following helped improve mask efficiency:

Using a nylon covering over a mask. When it’s worn, the researchers found that this can offer more than 90 percent protection.

Using a mask fitter, a solid or elastic device that’s worn over the mask and secured with head ties or ear loops. When used properly over a surgical mask, researchers found that a fitter can offer more than 90 percent protection for the wearer.

That’s not all. The CDC released new guidance Wednesday on how to make masks more effective, offering some very specific tips. The CDC now recommends the following:

Make sure your mask fits snugly against your face, noting that gaps can let air that can contain infectious particles seep in and out.

Choose a mask with multiple layers.

Pick a mask with a nose wire.

Use a mask fitter or brace.

Check for gaps.

Opt for layers, either by double masking with a disposable mask under a cloth mask, noting that the second mask should push the edges of the interior mask against your face, or choosing a multilayer mask.

The CDC also recommends that people avoid combining two disposable masks, noting that disposable masks are “not designed to fit tightly, and wearing more than one will not improve fit.” The organization even recommended against the practice of layering a mask over a KN95, writing, “Only use one KN95 mask at a time.”

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