If you are not sick and not a health-care or public-service working the quick answer is no you do not need to wear a mask.
The primary function of a face mask is to keep someone who is already infected with something from spreading it to others. Common surgical masks block droplets coming out of a sick person, however they are not made to prevent what’s already in the air from coming in.
From the Centers for Disease Control – “CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases.”
Specialized particulate filter masks are made to filter out up to 95% of airborne particles, know widely as N95, the 95 referring to 95% effective. Many stores and online retailers are sold out of N95 masks, and even if you are able to find them the masks are difficult to wear without proper fitting and training to work most effectively.
