(NPR) Coronavirus FAQ: What Does It Mean If I Can Blow Out A Candle While Wearing A Mask?

Coronavirus FAQ: What Does It Mean If I Can Blow Out A Candle While Wearing A Mask?








Birthday spoiler alert: If you want your mask to be a barrier to coronavirus transmission, you should not be able to blow out candles while wearing it.



Florin Cristian/EyeEm via Getty Images


hide caption





toggle caption




Florin Cristian/EyeEm via Getty Images











Coronavirus FAQ: What Does It Mean If I Can Blow Out A Candle While Wearing A Mask?






The candle test is one way to (roughly) assess the effectiveness of a mask. If your mask passes the test, you can help it do an even better job with some simple hacks.