4/6/20 update:
Apparently the WHO, the CDC, and the U.S. Surgeon General have been giving us bad advice to date…
The answer is yes! Watch this video to learn more: https://coronaviruswatch.com/2020/04/05/masks-save-lives-watch-this-video-from-the-czech-republic/
Elsewhere on our homepage, you’ll find more stories, including instructions on how to make your own face mask at home.
Our outdated answer from earlier in April:
Two groups of people should wear face masks to help control the spread of a respiratory infection like COVID-19:
- Those who are or may be infected. If you are potentially infected and you have a cough or other symptoms, wearing a surgical mask could help protect you from infecting those around you.
- Those in contact with people who are known or suspected to be infected, especially medical personnel, and family members caring for a loved one. Health experts have said that if you are healthy, masks won’t do much to protect you, and purchasing them will diminish the supply for those infected and those in contact with them.
https://www.businessinsider.com/types-of-masks-used-for-coronavirus-outbreak-n95-surgical-2020-3
All the different types of face masks, and who should wear them during the coronavirus outbreak
https://www.sharecare.com/health/coronavirus/article/will-wearing-face-mask-help-prevent-infections
Learn what works—and what doesn’t—to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious infections.
UPDATE: As of the first week of April, the CDC seems to be about to change its position. See details here: https://coronaviruswatch.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=710&action=edit