Which mask works best? To visualise droplets and aerosols, UNSW researchers used LED lighting system & a high-speed camera, filming people coughing and sneezing in different scenarios — using no mask, 2 different types of cloth masks, and a surgical mask.
We confirmed that even speaking generates substantial droplets. Coughing and sneezing (in that order) generate even more.
A three-ply surgical mask was significantly better than a one-layered cloth mask at reducing droplet emissions caused by speaking, coughing and sneezing, followed by a double-layer cloth face covering.