Originally Posted by
Loose rivets
Tell that to the South Koreans, and the five other countries that were prepared after SARS.
It's more or less all we've got but it relies on people wearing them for the sake of others - stopping the majority of outgoing droplets.
From what I've read, what most masks do (unless you've got a very high-end hermetically-sealed one) is simply redirect the spray from a cough out the edges i.e. sideways. Which may not be ideal if you're sitting next to someone.