[Vercingetorix]

http://imgur.com/GTUvPSd

 

[wake_up_bomb]

It's virtually impossible to contract a virus outdoors in the open air anyway, unless there are tonnes of people in a relatively confined space, and even then you are far more likely to contract it indoors. You don't need to wear a mask in that situation.

 

[Yukimura]

They lessen the amount of virus which is expelled. Studies show that the amount of exposure you have to the virus is directly related to how severe your case could be. As an exercise of thinking. Imagine you are s**t. If it was just a little(it's easy to find little concentrations on food we buy) you could have an infection, mas most probably than not, nothing serious. But if you ate a bowl of that, what do you think would happen to you? Just using an extreme exemple just so you understand the importance of lessening the concentration of the virus in the air.

 

[zjtennis]

I thought that's the point of the mask, so you if necessary, to be closer you need to minimize spread, with distancing as extra precaution.

 

[Boogalo]

The mask is an effective protection against spitting while speaking or coughing. The virus still gets out, but it doesn't fly directly into the other persons' faces.

That's what surgical masks were invented for, so that the doctor doesn't involuntarily spit into the open wound while performing surgery.

 

[Time Violation]

That's the whole point of masks actually, if they were 10 m away the whole time, they wouldn't need them.