Social media users have shared posts that raise the question of why healthy people wear face masks. The reports ignore studies showing that infected people can be healthy, without symptoms, and still infect others.
Examples of the postings can be seen here, here and here.
They all read, ‘I refuse to take part in a medical conspiracy that says wearing a mask is healthy and that we all pretend that healthy people are sick and can make us all sick.’
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website explains how COVID-19 spreads here. More about the mask guidelines can be found here.
Experts have said here, here and here that apparently healthy people who have the virus can spread it to others.
Harvard Health writes on its website here that a person infected with COVID-19 can be infected for 48 hours before they start experiencing symptoms. It also suggests that those without symptoms are more likely to spread the virus because they are less likely to isolate.
A CDC model suggests that 59% of all virus transmissions were from asymptomatic transmission, with 35% of presymptomatic individuals and 25% of those never developing symptoms.
Studies here, here and here have found that face coverings help limit the spread of COVID-19.
VERDICT
Missing context. Face mask helps to reduce the spread of asymptomatic individuals infected with the virus. Experts and studies have shown that COVID-19 is also distributed by asymptomatic people.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.