page_title: Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic
section_title: Recommendations
hierarchical_section_title: Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic / Recommendations
caption_attribution_description: English: COVID-19 whimsy.
context_page_description: During the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been employed as a public and personal health control measure against the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Their use is intended as personal protection to prevent infection and as source control to limit transmission of the virus in a community or healthcare setting. The use of masks has received varying recommendations from different public health agencies and governments. The World Health Organization and other public health organisations agree that masks can limit the spread of respiratory viral diseases such as COVID-19. However, the topic has been a subject of debate, with some public health agencies and governments initially disagreeing on a protocol for wearing face masks.
  As of early May 2020, 88% of the world's population lives in countries that recommend or mandate the use of masks in public; more than 75 countries have mandated the use of masks. Debates have emerged regarding whether masks should be worn even when social distancing at 2 meters, and whether they should be worn during exercise. Additionally, public health agencies of some countries and territories have changed their recommendations regarding face masks over time.
context_section_description: Surgical masks are recommended for those who may be infected, as wearing a mask can limit the volume and travel distance of expiratory droplets dispersed when talking, sneezing, and coughing. 
  Masks have also been recommended for use by those who are taking care of someone who may have the disease. The WHO has recommended the wearing of masks by healthy people only if they are at high risk, such as those who are caring for a person with COVID-19, though they also acknowledge that wearing masks may help people avoid touching their face. Several countries have started to encourage the use of face masks by members of the public.
  As of May 2020, 88% of the world's population lived in countries where their government and leading disease experts recommended or mandated the use of masks in public places to limit the spread of COVID-19.
caption: The landmark Egyptian Theater in Boise, Idaho presents a wry "Now Playing" public health message
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "4608", "Image ImageLength": "2112", "Image Make": "OnePlus", "Image Model": "ONEPLUS A6013", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2020:07:02 11:19:03", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "216", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "N", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[43, 36, 538523/10000]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "W", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[116, 12, 94067/10000]", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSAltitude": "804899/1000", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[17, 19, 2]", "GPS GPSProcessingMethod": "[65, 83, 67, 73, 73, 0, 0, 0, 67, 69, 76, 76, 73, 68, 0]", "GPS GPSDate": "2020:07:02", "Image GPSInfo": "752", "Thumbnail ExifImageWidth": "320", "Thumbnail ExifImageLength": "148", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1104", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "24860", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/2268", "EXIF FNumber": "17/10", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "100", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2020:07:02 11:19:03", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2020:07:02 11:19:03", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "11147/1000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "153/100", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "139/25", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "153/100", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, auto mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "17/4", "EXIF SubSecTime": "759917", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "759917", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "759917", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "4608", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2112", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "721", "EXIF SensingMethod": "Not defined", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "25", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}