UW Madison Engineers and Researchers Cited in CDC Guidance on Mask Fitters

Sunday, February 14th, 2021 -- 11:00 AM

(WMTV) The CDC put out a new recommendation Wednesday, encouraging the use of mask fitters.

This may be a new term to many people, but a team of UW Madison engineers and researchers, cited in the CDC’S guidance, have been encouraging the public to use them for months.

In November, NBC15 spoke with two UW Madison Engineers, who developed a mask fitter called the Badger Seal.  It creates a tight seal around the nose and mouth, so particles can’t as easily escape from the sides, top and bottom of a mask.

The CDC now says tightly fitted masks can potentially increase a wearers’ protection by more than 90%.  A mask fitter can help make a cloth or medical mask function more like an N95 mask.

The CDC directly referenced UW’s research as justification.  In November, UW Madison released the open-source design for the Badger Seal. A couple small manufacturers have already produced and sold at least 10,000 of them.

UW Madison put out free instructions showing you how you can make your very own mask fitter at home, using cheap and easy to find materials or you can purchase one online.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.