Originally Posted by
nludy
Why do medical workers wear masks if the patients are already sick? The masks work both ways. To help filter the pathogens and to prevent sick people from infecting others.
Patients who wear masks to help prevent others from getting sick do not always wear them, particularly when nurses and doctors are performing tests, cleaning, treating them etc. Their masks protect them while in very close contact with people who are sick and breathing/sneezing/coughing etc.
This is far different from people wearing masks while walking down a street staying a reasonable distance from others.