Why wear a mask in public? Yahoo News explains.

Dr. Dara Kass, an ER physician and associate professor at Columbia University, explains why she believes everyone should wear a mask or face covering in public during the coronavirus pandemic.

Video transcript

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DARA KASS: It's more like what's the disadvantage of wearing a mask? 80% of people who wear masks generally don't get infected. It's more like we know that if you're wearing a mask, you're acting differently. You're not touching your face. You are not talking on the phone and projecting spit. You are paying attention to where you're walking.

So it's much more about the idea that by wearing a mask, you're active in your space. And it reminds you to act differently when you engage with other people. We have to understand that the masks that we're asking people to wear are a precaution, but they're not to address somebody that has symptoms. If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you should be in your house quarantined. You actually shouldn't really even be going outside.

MICHAEL J. RYAN: Surgical and medical masks and masks like N-95 and N-52 and N-53 respirators are for the medical system. And we must prioritize their use to protect health workers on the front line.

DARA KASS: The homemade fabric masks are not appropriate for health care workers. They are not appropriate for the hospital. I think that there was a confusion about the recommendation about using bandannas and scarves to protect yourselves. It's much easier to understand that if you have access to a homemade mask or a scarf, and you wear it in public because you're not a home health worker, or you're not a health care worker and you're going to the grocery store, that's a good thing. If we're trying to not give appropriate PPE to health care workers and saying use a scarf or homemade mask, as an example, that's not great. There are two very parallel lanes. And we need to get appropriate PPE to all medical providers first and foremost.

- The most important thing is the social distancing and washing your hands. And we don't want people to get an artificial sense of protection because they're behind a mask.

- The masks couldn't hurt unless they gave you a false sense of security.

DARA KASS: This is not supposed to replace people acting smart. I think it's going to make people act smarter. And I think it's going to remind people that we're in a different world for a period of time. And that's really important. It's not fun to wear a mask in public. It feels weird. It's restrictive. But in theory, that's the point.

The masks-- specifically homemade masks-- are not a substitution for following the most medically sound protocol around the condition that you're in. If you have coronavirus, you should be staying home quarantining yourself from everyone else for 14 days from first symptom. Full stop.

I think the problem is people are looking for too many absolutes right now. Is there evidence that masks work? We don't even know what it's like to be recovered from this virus. We don't even know when you're immune. We don't know a lot about this virus.

I was wearing a mask at work, the appropriate PPE, and I still got coronavirus. This is not to say we will guarantee you won't get coronavirus. This is to say it's going to help you not get coronavirus. It's not going to hurt you. And it's certainly not to encourage you to get coronavirus. So let's do it.