What face masks actually do against coronavirus

Face masks don't make you invincible.

The fight against coronavirus is global. But the guidelines on whether you should wear a face mask as part of that fight are often completely different from place to place. That means that, for a lot of people, whether you wear a face mask when you leave the house is basically up to you.

Here’s where almost every expert agrees: If you have Covid-19, and you leave the house, you should wear a mask. Masks help keep sick people from spreading their germs. Most of the uncertainty around mask use is related to a totally separate question: Whether masks can protect healthy people from getting Covid-19.

The truth is that no mask can actually guarantee that you won’t get sick; experts say one of the most dangerous assumptions about face masks is that they basically make you invincible. Masks have to be used correctly to offer any protection at all, and they’re most effective if used alongside other preventative measures like hand-washing and social distancing.

But experts also say that the question of whether healthy people should wear masks is a lot easier to answer when you consider one of Covid-19’s most dangerous characteristics: Because of the disease’s long incubation period, and the high occurrence of infected people who never feel symptoms at all, it’s almost impossible to be completely sure that you don’t already have it. And that means the safest course of action is ultimately for everyone to behave like a sick person; in other words, to wear a mask.

The headline on this piece has been updated. Previous headline: Why you should wear a face mask to fight coronavirus

[jisoo]

I live in Seattle..I wore mask recently and this lady asked me whether I was sick. I said no, then she followed me around to tell me how ineffective masks are and that I shouldn’t wear it. If she is not wanting to wear it, it’s her choice and I respect that. But don’t judge others for their choices to do anything possible to protect themselves and others around, please.

[khai]

As an international student from Asia living in Canada, I am so shocked when people would ask me y we wear face masks so often, n there's not a straight answer. We wear them when we r sick, so other won't get sick, we wear them when were not feeling ourselves n want to hide behind a mask, we wear them to shield from the air pollution etc, there's simply no harm in wearing them. we have been educated since young that wearing a mask is beneficial, while people in the West r freaking out over wearing a mask.

[wickn]

Question: Should we normalize wearing masks at other times, not just during this pandemic? Say, if you feel like you might have a cough, or in extreme cases the flu, should you then go out with a mask?

[harrycolton]

After reading the various comments below I have come to the conclusion that we are all toast.

[deeda]

Back to January, my mom called me from China, and asked me to wear mask. I told her that the Canada government officials told the public to not wear a mask. She insisted I must wear mask, and shipped me a big box of masks. She thinks the government might just wanna reserve medical resources to hospitals, and lied to the public. Well, she was absolutely right.

[XPrincess]

WHAT PART OF PEOPLE CAN BE ASYMPTOMATIC AND CONTAGIOUS DOES EVERYONE NOT UNDERSTAND

[freethinker]

tl;dw: Wearing a face mask is meant to protect others, not just you. There is a chance you may already be carrying the virus even if you aren't showing any symptoms. If everyone does this than we are all protecting each other.

[MyPicturesRestoredBedford]

"If you're sick, you shouldn't leave the house without a mask"...
Eh? 🤔 You should isolate and you stay at home!!

[hectorponce]

You know during this whole covid-19 pandemic I realized how many people have forgotten basic hygiene until now.

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

From my experience in visiting Japan, even before the Covid-19 Pandemic, people were already wearing masks to prevent others from getting sick. Hygiene standards over there was much better too, you won't find a single piece of garbage on the ground in Shibuya. I think people in the U.S. need to set their standards higher when it comes to overall hygiene.

[iAmTheSquidThing]

The official advice never made sense. “Masks don’t work.” also “Doctors need those masks.” That’s self-contradictory.

[brucethedruid]

Unfortunately as a grocery store clerk I actually see people touching their face and their mask all the time, and at least 25% to 50% of those wearing masks are wearing them incorrectly. I wonder where these experts get their data from.

[saby]

the way us americans are handling this highlights how little most people care about each other.
Most people usually just care for themselves and their close friends and family.

[luxeproultimate]

Hong Kong had been wearing masks since day one, and we had zero cases yesterday...

[CaapriceTube]

Also having a healthy diet and building up your immune is vital aswell.

[falcore]

6:35 thank you for making sure to include stuff about safe mask technique. That is something I don’t see many folks bothering to mention, and one of my fears is that bad mask technique may result in their use being counterproductive.

[ferebee]

1:13 this is like saying that bulletproof vest is useless because it’s doesn’t save me from bullets, but if I’m going to war I’d still prefer to wear one
Edit: Nothing is guaranteed but masks can lower your chances of getting infected. Why would I not chose the option to be extra safe when I have access to the option?
Edit: my mum once was wearing a mask in a supermarket (a few weeks after covid outbreak in the us) and many people are just giving her a strange please wear a mask if you care about you and others!!

[Donar]

1:14 "It's not providing the perfect protection"
Exactly. Don't wear seat belts either, because they don't provide perfect protection.

[gforce]

I'll just put on my Darth Vader mask. That ought to stop anything.

[heyheyhey]

Someone needs to do a survey asking those people who have been hospitalized with the who actually wore a mask and also did they properly wash their hands.