Why wearing face mask helps to protect you from coronavirus

Health authorities in Asia have encouraged all citizens to put on masks to prevent the spread of the virus since early stage of the pandemic, but officials in the West have discouraged the public to do so,

Benjamin Cowling, epidemiologist at HKU, told Science magazine why wearing a mask would help protect health wearer from infection:

• Both surgical masks and the more protective N95 respirators have been proved to be useful in preventing various respiratory infections in health care workers as well as the general public;
• The average person, if taught how to wear a mask properly, could benefit more from it
• The greatest benefit of masking the masses is likely about preventing people already infected from transmitting the virus.
• Available evidence suggests that people without symptoms may also transmit the coronavirus without knowing that they have been infected.

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