World Health Organization: "NO evidence that wearing a mask by healthy persons can prevent them from getting COVID-19"

World Health Organization document "Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19" dated April 6, 2020:

"There is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. Medical masks should be reserved for health care workers. The use of medical masks in the community may create a false sense of security, with neglect of other essential measures, such as hand hygiene practices and physical distancing, and may lead to touching the face under the masks and under the eyes, result in unnecessary costs, and take masks away from those in health care who need them most, especially when masks are in short supply."

URL links:

https://www.who.int/publications-detail/advice-on-the-use-of-masks-in-the-community-during-home-care-and-in-healthcare-settings-in-the-context-of-the-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)-outbreak

Download the PDF here:
https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1274280/retrieve