We should be very clear about face masks, they help everyone prevent the spread of #coronavirus. It's unfortunate the original message was that it doesn't prevent you from getting it because if everyone wore a mask, it would reduced the spread of it.
So if you're going to the grocery store, the doctors, or even if you share space with others, everyone doing this would have a significant impact. I'm specifically talking about the regular masks which there are plenty of, not the masks designated for healthcare workers.
Why is this the case? Because the main form of transmission is through aerosols (those things that look like dust when you see light shine through a window), and when people are around each other they exchange the aerosol that is in the air, and thus transmit coronavirus.
Washing your hands is still important as you can end up getting the virus in that way. But the transmission through the air (aerosols) is why social distancing has been recommended by the CDC.
