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VERIFY: Can wearing face masks prevent you from getting the Coronavirus?

As concerns over the Coronavrius grow across the United States, more and more people are wearing face masks.

SAN DIEGO — There have two confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus in Southern California, and a potential San Diego case is still being tested by the CDC. 

As concerns over the Coronavrius grow across the United States, more and more people are wearing face masks. Some travelers credit the masks with putting them more at ease, but can those masks do any good to protect you from the disease?

"I feel a little more safe having it. I know it's not 100% but I think it would be unwise not to take whatever precaution I can," said traveler Miguel Jimenez.

But can wearing face masks actually prevent you from getting the coronavirus?

News verified that question with the Dr. Christopher O’Brien, Chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente San Diego, who said coronavirus should not be a buzz word to go buy a mask.

"I don't see the reason for wearing masks or the panic or going out and hoarding them," O’Brien said.

Dr. O'Brien said a mask is not critical to wear, especially as San Diego County does not have any confirmed cases and the U.S. does not have a coronavirus epidemic.

“We are not China, and the number of cases there is a lot greater, and like I said, we have not seen anything here yet,” he said.

But do masks help at all? Will wearing them add any extra protection from getting the coronavirus?

According to experts the answer is no. There's not enough evidence face masks will benefit the general population.

"Wearing a mask when you do not have symptoms is not really that helpful. What is helpful is washing your hands," said Dr. Frank Esper of the Cleveland Clinic.

The CDC does recommend health care workers dealing with coronavirus infected patients wear the heavy-duty mask with the "N95 respirator" to block out at least 95 percent of small airborne particles.

But there's no recommendation for the general public to wear them.

Overall, doctors says masks could protect others from your germs, but may not protect you from theirs, so continue to avoid touching your face and cover your cough.

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