Face masks are thought to slow the spread of viruses, including the COVID-19 virus, but little is known about how well they work. In Physics of Fluids, researchers use computer models to map expected flow patterns of droplets released when a mask-wearing person coughs repeatedly. Previous work showed droplets can travel 18 feet when an unmasked person coughs. This work used an extended model to consider the effect of masks and multiple cycles of coughing.
Source: Repeated coughing seriously degrades face mask efficiency