Some Covid masks are better than others. I know – I’m the Mask Nerd | Aaron Collins

Cloth or surgical masks just don't cut it - respirators are far more effective, and they're comfortable too

• Aaron Collins is a engineer who tests and reviews masks

As a mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science, I often wondered why months into the pandemic we were still using cloth masks. People used similar coverings during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1919, more than 100 years ago. I knew better mask technology existed, and people needed to know about it.

So I embarked on a year-long mission to test, document, and review the best masks I could find. This eventually entailed building a mini aerosol laboratory in my bathroom, with scientific instruments capable of measuring particles 1/50,000th the width of a human hair. I have a public database for my results. And a Youtube channel. Over time I began to be known as the Mask Nerd.