Question: Should respirators be used to prevent COVID-19?

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Personal Protective Equipment: Questions and Answers
section_headers: Respirators
What is a respirator?
section_content: A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face or head
and covers at least the nose and mouth. A respirator is used to reduce the
wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles (including infectious
agents), gases or vapors. Respirators, including those intended for use in
healthcare settings, are certified by the CDC/NIOSH.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Answer mentions in the second sentence that respirators are used to "reduce the wearer's risk" of getting disease or particles inhaled but makes no mention of COVID-19 specifically.
This does a good job defining what a respirator is but doesn't make any mention of whether they should be used to prevent COVID which is what's being asked in the question

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
section_headers: Why does CDC continue to recommend respiratory protection equivalent or higher to the level provided by an N95 disposable filtering facepiece respirator for care of patients with known or suspected COVID-19?
section_content: CDC’s guidance to use NIOSH-approved N95 disposable filtering facepiece or
higher level respirators when providing care for patients with suspected or
known COVID-19 is based on the current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and related
respiratory viruses.
Current data suggest that close-range aerosol transmission by droplet and
inhalation, and contact followed by self-delivery to the eyes, nose, or mouth
are likely routes of transmission. Long-range aerosol transmission, such as is
seen with measles, has not been a feature of SARS-CoV-2.
Potential routes of close-range transmission include splashes and sprays of
infectious material onto mucous membranes and inhalation of infectious virions
exhaled by an infected person. The relative contribution of each of these is
not known for SARS-Co-V-2.
Facemasks commonly used during surgical procedures will provide barrier
protection against droplet sprays contacting mucous membranes of the nose and
mouth, but they are not designed to protect wearers from inhaling small
particles. N95 and higher level respirators, such as other disposable
filtering facepiece respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs),
and elastomeric respirators, provide both barrier and respiratory protection
because of their tight fit and filtration characteristics.
Respirators should be used as part of a respiratory protection program that
provides staff with medical evaluations, training, and fit testing.
Although facemasks are routinely used for the care of patients with common
viral respiratory infections, N95 or higher level respirators are routinely
recommended for emerging pathogens like SARS CoV-2, which have the potential
for transmission via small particles, the ability to cause severe infections,
and no specific treatments or vaccines.
CDC recommendations acknowledge the current challenges with limited supplies
of N95s and other respirators. Facilities that do not have sufficient supplies
of N95s and other respirators for all patient care should prioritize their use
for activities and procedures that pose high risks of generating infectious
aerosols and use facemasks for care that does not involve those activities or
procedures. Detailed strategies for optimizing the supply of N95
respirators are
available on the CDC website. Once availability of supplies is reestablished,
the guidance states that the use of N95 and higher level respirators should
resume.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Answer details COVID-19 transmission itself as well as face masks and respirators as well as the efficacy rates of each. A link is also provided for dealing with the N95 supply issues.
This is a very detailed and robust response that talks about masks and respirators. It mentions CDC recommendations and covers just about all you should need to know based on the question

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Personal Protective Equipment: Questions and Answers
section_headers: Respirators
Should I wear a respirator in public?
section_content: Most often,
spread of
respiratory viruses from person-to-person happens among close
contacts
(within 6 feet). Recent studies indicate that people who are infected but do
not have symptoms likely also play a role in the spread of COVID-19. CDC
recommends everyday preventive actions to prevent the spread of respiratory
viruses, such as avoiding people who are sick, avoiding touching your eyes or
nose, and covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue. People who are sick
should stay home and not go into crowded public places or visit people in hospitals.
Workers who are sick should follow CDC guidelines and stay home when they are
sick.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
No mention at all is made towards any kind of face covering let alone a respirator.
This response has nothing to do with the respirators that are mentioned in the question. This only talks about respiratory viruses but doesn't answer what's being asked

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad