Masks offer much more protection against coronavirus than many think

[jayfish]

25. Did You Read What I Wrote In My Original Respose?

"early on".

Also, it's not nit-picking. It was everywhere.

Can face coverings prevent the spread of the virus?

If you cough or sneeze, the mask can catch those respiratory droplets so they don't land on other people or surfaces. "So it's not going to protect you, but it is going to protect your neighbor," says Dr. Daniel Griffin at Columbia University, an expert on infectious diseases. "If your neighbor is wearing a mask and the same thing happens, they're going to protect you. So masks worn properly have the potential to benefit people."

Masks Prevent You From Infecting Others With Coronavirus, But May Not Protect You From Being Infected

Experts, including the CDC, continue to state that the evidence does not show that wearing a mask will protect the wearer, but everyone wearing masks should benefit the population overall. The headline has been changed since publication to reflect this understanding.

Can wearing a face mask protect you from the new coronavirus?

Can wearing a medical face mask protect you against the new coronavirus? It's a question many people are asking, including pet owners who are putting canine face masks on their dogs. If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is no, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told Live Science.

Surgical face masks

Surgical face masks
Surgical face masks are fairly loose-fitting, disposable masks approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as medical devices. Doctors, dentists, and nurses often wear them while treating patients.

These masks prevent large droplets of bodily fluids that may contain viruses or other germs from escaping via the nose and mouth. They also protect against splashes and sprays from other people, such as those from sneezes and coughs.

But the average masks you can buy from a local drugstore aren’t enough to filter out viruses.

Surgical Masks

Surgical masks, commonly worn by healthcare workers, are intended to block bacterial germs transmitted through secretions, sprays, splashes and large-particle droplets from entering the mouth or nose. They’re disposable, loose-fitting and cover the nose, mouth and chin and should be thrown away after using them. You can easily recognize them by their design: flat, rectangular shaped with pleats, a metal strip along the nose area and long straight ties. Although they’re easy to wear and effective, they’re not able to filter most viral particles.