To mask or not to mask?

Face-coverings are increasingly being recommended by authorities as a protective measure that helps prevent the spread of Covid-19, especially by those who are (unwitting) asymptomatic carriers.

"Asia may have been right about coronavirus and face masks, and the rest of the world is coming around" [CNN]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/asia/coronavirus-mask-messaging-intl-hnk/index.html

Please note: Nobody is advocating that N95 respirator masks, currently in such short supply, be worn by anybody except medical personnel.

Incidentally, N95 masks have a fascinating history that involves creepy bird masks, bra design, and karmic retribution for racism.

"The untold origin story of the N95 mask" [Fast Company]

https://www.fastcompany.com/90479846/the-untold-origin-story-of-the-n95-mask


Updated to add:
If you're not the crafty type, this tutorial will show you how to turn a T-shirt or handkerchief into a face mask.

"How to make a non-medical coronavirus face mask – no sewing required" [The Guardian]
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/06/how-to-make-no-sew-face-mask-coronavirus

The Worst-Case Estimate for U.S. Coronavirus Deaths

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/coronavirus-deaths-estimate.html

This New York Times article has a bit of a grim title but includes a solid collection of facts and expert perspectives (as you'd expect from the NYT). Although the reporting is US-based, the implications mentioned in the article clearly apply to any country grappling with the virus. There are also few good analogies in here which you can put into your toolbox for speaking with others about the impact of the pandemic.

Helpful excerpts taken directly from the article:

• Recommended actions include "testing for the virus, tracing contacts, and reducing human interactions by stopping mass gatherings, working from home and curbing travel."
• “A fire on your stove you could put out with a fire extinguisher, but if your kitchen is ablaze, that fire extinguisher probably won’t work,” said Dr. Carter Mecher, a senior medical adviser for public health at the Department of Veterans Affairs and a former director of medical preparedness policy at the White House during the Obama and Bush administrations. “Communities that pull the fire extinguisher early are much more effective.”
• “By the time you have a death in the community, you have a lot of cases already,” said Dr. Mecher. “It’s giving you insight into where the epidemic was, not where it is, when you have something fast moving.” He added: “Think starlight. That light isn’t from now, it’s from however long it took to get here."

Imperial College’s assessment of COVID-19 for the UK and US

Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID19 mortality and healthcare demand

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf

[US] State Health Sites

Compiled by the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) of the American Library Association

http://godort.libguides.com/healthdbs#s-lg-box-23261339