masks

A group of mechanical engineering students hang out in front of Snell Library.

Why do I feel like I still have to wear a mask?

The end of mask restrictions in much of the United States has put people who wore masks in a quandary. And yes, says Rory Smead, associate professor of philosophy at Northeastern, it’s awkward.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki June 2, 2021

Pedestrians, some with masks, some without walk along the Las Vegas Strip on April 27, 2021

What do the new CDC mask guidelines mean?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that people fully vaccinated for the coronavirus no longer need to wear masks in public. How does that gibe with state and local rules mandating mask-wearing? And how will the new guidelines affect the vaccination rate? Northeastern faculty in law and public health unravel these questions.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki May 14, 2021

Visitors wear face masks while watching a presentation in a theater at the Aquarium of the Pacific on its first day of reopening to public in Long Beach, Calif. on March 16, 2021.

How soon will the COVID-19 pandemic end? It depends.

“It could be a matter of weeks,” says Alessandro Vespignani, whose team has created models projecting possible future outbreaks of COVID-19 in the U.S. for the CDC. But that depends on whether people’s real behavior continues to align with the Northeastern team’s scenarios.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki May 5, 2021

Northeastern will ease mask mandates and other restrictions

On Friday, Northeastern will align with new state and CDC guidelines that allow people to forgo masks outdoors when the proper distancing can be maintained. And, starting Monday, fully vaccinated members of the Northeastern community will move to once-a-week testing.

by Peter Ramjug April 29, 2021

Busting 5 common myths about COVID-19 and masks

Nearly a year after COVID-19 protocols were put into place, wearing a mask is practically second nature. Neil Maniar, professor and associate chair of the department of health sciences at Northeastern, shares what you need to know about proper mask use and staying safe.

by Alison Booth March 1, 2021

Photo Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

2 masks are better than 1 to protect against new COVID-19 variants

Fit is paramount when it comes to face masks, according to two Northeastern professors who study how airborne particles travel through different facial coverings. Layering surgical masks under cloth masks can decrease the amount of particles that reach the nose and mouth.

by Emily Arntsen - contributor January 29, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Testing medical protective gear is the perfect job for robots–but not without the help of humans.

When the production and manufacturing industry for personal protective equipment encountered a bottled neck because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taskin Padir, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, set up a team to help mobilize the process of testing surgical masks and gowns in local hospitals. Now, he wants to build a robotic system that could help manufacturers perform that process faster and more efficiently during this and future pandemics.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa October 5, 2020

President Trump addressing RNC from White House South Lawn

Trump’s pandemic approval ratings rise for the first time, new national study finds

The increase was small, but it was enough to reverse a continuous decline, according to a survey by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers.

by Peter Ramjug September 8, 2020

Demonstrators raise their mobile phone lights during a protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and other groups in New York, the United States. Photo by Stringer/Sputnik via AP

Racial justice protests were not a major cause of COVID-19 infection surges, new national study suggests

States that had some of the largest protests in May and June were also among the least likely to report a surge in cases of COVID-19 in subsequent months, according to a new national study by Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers.

by Peter Ramjug August 11, 2020

Face masks help prevent you from spreading the coronavirus. But can they prevent you from catching it?

The scientific evidence is growing about the importance of masks in fighting COVID-19. But one important question is whether homemade masks can protect people wearing them. The answer depends on the fit of a mask and the materials within it, research by Northeastern engineers suggests.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa July 29, 2020