Wearing a mask reduces the spread of respiratory illnesses within the community by reducing the number of infectious particles that may be inhaled or exhaled. These particles may be spread when an infected individual talks, sings, shouts, coughs, or sneezes (even if not symptomatic).
Hence, masks may provide protection to the wearer and those around them.
Masks are one component of a package of prevention and control measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. In addition to mask wearing, these measures include avoiding crowded spaces, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces and improving ventilation in indoor spaces, keeping a distance, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette - covering your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze, getting vaccinated and staying up to date with booster doses.
Be supportive of others wearing a mask if they choose to.
To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, WHO recommends wearing a mask:
In other situations, not included in the above, you should assess your individual risk to determine if a mask should be worn. When deciding to wear a mask or not, the following should be considered:
There are three types of masks that WHO recommends for the public:
*Look for disposable medical masks labelled with any of the following standard certifications: ASTM F2100, EN 14683, YY 0469, YY/T 0969, GB 19083, or ASTM F3502. For more information on acceptable mask type, see the guideline, infection prevention and control in the context of COVID-19: a living guideline
Filtration, breathability and fit are all important.
If you purchase a non-medical mask, check the labels to make sure it complies with the ASTM F3502 standard or CEN/TS17553.
If you choose to make your own mask, it should be made of three layers of fabric:
Watch the video on WHO’s recommended fabric mask materials and composition for more information.
For either type of mask, you should choose the one that fits your face well - cover your nose, cheeks and chin without leaving gaps on the sides. Masks with vents or exhalation valves are not advised because they allow unfiltered breath to escape the mask.
How to put on and take off a medical mask:
How to take off a medical mask:
How to put on and wear a fabric mask:
How to take off and store a fabric mask:
How to clean a fabric mask:
Watch our ‘How to wear a fabric mask’ video for a demonstration.
Even when you’re in an area with active COVID-19 transmission, masks should not be worn during vigorous physical activity because of the risk of reducing your breathing capacity. No matter how intensely you exercise, keep at least 1 metre away from others, and if you’re indoors, make sure there is adequate ventilation.
If COVID-19 is widely circulating and impacting the health
system, visitors, along with health and care workers and caregivers, should
always wear a well-fitting
medical mask in all common
areas and when caring for non-COVID-19 patients.
Health and care workers caring for COVID-19 patients should wear
a respirator or a medical mask. A mask may be required for inpatients if
in close contact with a health and care worker, for example during examinations
or bedside visits, and when the patient is outside of their care area when
being transported.
When caring for a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient, a respirator or a medical mask should be worn by health and care workers along with other personal protective equipment (PPE) – gown, gloves and eye protection. Factors for informing the choice in mask type may include a risk assessment and health and care workers’ values and preferences. Health and care workers may choose to wear a respirator in healthcare facilities where ventilation is known to be poor or cannot be assessed, or the ventilation system is not properly maintained.
A respirator should always be worn along with a gown, gloves, and eye protection by health and care workers performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) and on duty in settings where AGP are regularly performed on patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, such as intensive care units, semi-intensive care units or emergency departments.
Health and care workers must remember to combine hand hygiene with any time they touch their respirator or medical mask or face, before and after putting on and removing them, as well as before they touch them to readjust them.
Further resources:
Health workers, caregivers and visitors must perform hand hygiene any time they touch their medical mask or face, before and after putting on and removing them, as well as before they touch them to readjust them.
Medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are:
Respirators (also known as filtering facepiece respirators – FFP) are available at different performance levels such as FFP2, FFP3, N95, N99, N100.
Medical masks and respirator masks are similar in their filtration value. However, respirators also have a tight fit around the wearer face as the model and size of the respirator is specific to the wearer to ensure an adequate seal.
Health and care workers should be fit tested before using a respirator to ensure that they are wearing the correct size. Wearing a loose-fitting respirator will not offer the same level of protection to the wearer as it may allow small particles to get inside the mask where there are gaps, for example through the side.