Healthcare workers A medical professional wearing a<unk>  during an operation A<unk>  is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and certain health care procedures to catch microorganisms shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. Evidence supports the effectiveness of<unk> s in reducing the risk of infection among other healthcare workers and in the community. However, a Cochrane review found that there is no clear evidence that disposable face masks worn by members of the<unk>  team would reduce the risk of wound infections after clean<unk>  procedures. Healthcare workers are trained in how to put on, handle, remove, and dispose of<unk> s. For healthcare workers, safety guidelines recommend the wearing of a face-fit tested N95 or FFP3 respirator mask instead of a<unk>  in the vicinity of pandemic-flu patients, to reduce the exposure of the wearer to potentially infectious aerosols and airborne liquid droplets. General public Disney characters, designed for children In community and home settings, the use of facemasks and respirators generally are not recommended, with other measures preferred such as avoiding close contact, maintaining good hand hygiene, and wearing cloth face coverings.<unk> s are popularly worn by the general public all year round in East Asian countries like China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases to others, and to prevent the breathing in of airborne dust particles created by air pollution. In Japan and Taiwan, it is common to see these masks worn during the flu season, as a show of consideration for others and social responsibility.<unk> s provide some protection against the spread of diseases, and improvised masks provide about half as much protection. More recently, due to the rising issue of smog in South and Southeast Asia,<unk> s and air filtering face masks are now frequently used in major cities in India, Nepal and Thailand when air quality deteriorates to toxic levels. Additionally, face masks are used in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore during the Southeast Asian haze season. Air filtering<unk> -style masks are quite popular across Asia and as a result, many companies have released masks that not only prevent the breathing in of airborne dust particles but are also fashionable. Additionally,<unk> s have become a fashion statement, particularly in contemporary East Asian culture bolstered by its popularity in Japanese and Korean pop culture which have a big impact on East Asian youth culture.<unk> s may also be worn to conceal identity. In the United States banks, convenience stores, etc. have banned their use as a result of criminals repeatedly doing so, but allowed facemasks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, some protestors wore<unk> s amongst other types of mask to avoid recognition, and the government tried to ban such use. Research carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic found that<unk> s increase the attractiveness of the wearer and this is more so than other types of masks.
Surgical mask
Karman cannula
Venturi mask
Nasal cannula
Pocket mask
Gas mask
N95 respirator
Cloth face mask