What face mask to wear really depends on how you answer 2 questions.
- Are you infected with Covid-19?
- Are you in contact with a lot of people (potentially) infected with Covid-19?
If the answer is “no, no” (not infected/healthy, not in contact with infected people), a hygienic face mask is the most recommended for you. You can increase your protection by upgrading to a surgical face mask, with a higher BFE level. But by doing so you help create a shortage in this product that is vital for infected people and health workers, driving prices up. Be responsible, and leave the surgical face masks to those who need them.
If the answer is “yes, yes/no” (infected, with and without contact with infected people), you should wear a surgical mask. When you’re infected, independently from if you show symptoms or are asymptomatic, protecting the people around you is extremely important. Even if you’re healthy and don’t show symptoms, or manage to survive the infection, other people around you might be a lot more vulnerable. By not wearing a mask you can infect and potentially kill them.
If the answer is “no, yes” (not infected/healthy, in contact with infected people), you should wear a FFP2 mask if you work with patients in general. The FFP2 mask is a personal protection equipment, and protects mostly you from infection by the people around you. Don’t take any chances - wear a mask and stay safe. If you operate on patients, a surgical face mask is probably part of your standard work equipment.