masks (from fb - 20200401)

(this is a post I originally made on facebook, copied here and backdated so I can look back on it later)

There is a lot of confusing messaging around wearing masks right now, so I thought I'd try to clarify for myself. NOTE: I am just a layman, this isn’t anything official or in-depth, and the situation keeps evolving, but this is what I’m going by right now.

* If you are a healthcare worker, essential worker, or one of the at-risk or currently ill population, then N95+ masks and gloves are recommended and in many cases required. These are primarily to protect *you* from others (though they can also help protect you _when worn properly_).

* For everyone else, please strongly consider wearing some form of face covering if/when you have to go out. This is to protect *others* from you. Many people may be carriers but asymptomatic, so even a 30-50% reduction in the spread of droplets can be significant when we all pitch in. A scarf, bandanna, t-shirt, or a homemade mask (lots of good suggestions and patterns on the internet)...anything will help.

And as always, use care, be smart. Wash your hands often, don't touch your face, and stay home. To repeat a quote I've been seeing around: "The virus doesn’t move, people move it. We stop moving, the virus stops moving, the virus dies. It’s that simple."