Why do face masks matter with this coronavirus?

With the new coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, the largest amount of viral shedding, or transmission, happens early in the course of the disease. Therefore, people may be contagious before they even start to show symptoms.

Moreover, scientific models suggest that up to 80 percent of transmission stems from asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Emerging research suggests that widespread mask use may help limit the transmission of the virus by people who don’t realize that they may have it.

It’s also possible that you could acquire SARS-CoV-2 if you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes after touching a surface or object that has the virus on it. However, this is not thought to be the main way that the virus spreads.