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Health experts warn about rise of ‘half-masking’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — While masks have been critical in slowing the spread of COVID-19, some Hoosiers are starting to slip into what’s called “half-masking,” when a person covers their mouth with their mask, but the nose is left exposed. 

News 8 spoke with Kristen Kelly, nursing director of Infection Prevention at IU Health Methodist and University Hospitals, about the trend. Kelly also discussed the dangers of half masking, how it increases one’s risk for COVID-19 and why the nasal cavity is the main point of entry for a coronavirus infection. 

News 8’s medical reporter, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Gillis, D.Ed., is a classically trained medical physiologist and biobehavioral research scientist. She has been a health, medical and science reporter for over 5 years. Her work has been featured in national media outlets. You can follow her on Instagram @reportergillis and Facebook @DrMaryGillis.