Amy Mueller Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a.mueller@northeastern.edu 617.373.8131 Expertise Biogeochemistry of natural and engineered systems, environmental chemistry Amy Mueller for Northeastern Global News Face masks help prevent you from spreading the coronavirus. But can they prevent you from catching it? 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.