Check sheet 13 of 14
Who should still wear a mask, and when health bodies say so
Public-health pages describe particular circumstances in which a mask may be advised. This sheet reports them with their dates and makes no individual recommendation.
Most places no longer require masks, yet health bodies still describe situations where one may be advised. This sheet gathers those descriptions from several public-health pages, each with the date shown on it. Rules vary by place, setting and date, and the reader should check current local public-health advice. Nothing here is advice for any one person.
As at 18 August 2025 (CDC), 27 March 2024 (ECDC) and 16 June 2022 (UKHSA): these are the dates on the pages opened, and an older page may no longer match present guidance.
People at higher risk of severe illness
The CDC page on people at increased risk for severe respiratory illnesses (updated 18 August 2025) names older adults, young children, people with certain medical conditions, people with weakened immune systems, people with disabilities and pregnant women as groups with higher chances of becoming very sick. It says vaccination is the most important prevention tool and that anyone in these groups should talk to a healthcare provider about what is recommended for them.
The ECDC page on personal protective measures against flu (updated 27 March 2024) goes further for confined public spaces. It says a facemask, or preferably an FFP2 respirator, is recommended for elderly people or those with underlying health conditions in places such as shops and public transport during periods of high community transmission.
When someone has symptoms or a positive test
The UK Health Security Agency's guidance, Living safely with respiratory infections (last updated 16 June 2022), says that anyone with symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test who needs to leave home can reduce spread by wearing a well-fitting face covering or mask. It also lists wearing one when in close contact with someone at higher risk, and when respiratory viruses are circulating widely and people are in crowded, enclosed spaces.
ECDC similarly says that people who are ill and cannot stay home may consider a medical mask or FFP2 respirator in public places where they may be close to others. Its page also says a mask may help a household member who is caring for someone with symptoms. The CDC masks page (18 August 2025) lists key times as when people around you were recently exposed, are sick or are recovering.
Health-care settings
ECDC says that during periods of high community transmission of respiratory viruses it recommends masks for health-care staff, visitors and patients in primary and secondary care. CDC's masks page notes that it offers separate, specific guidance for health-care settings, which readers who work or receive care in them should consult.
Crowded, poorly ventilated places
CDC describes a mask as an additional strategy that can be helpful in crowded spaces or when illness is increasing in a community. It adds that the most protective mask a person can comfortably wear for extended periods, one that fits well, is the most effective option. ECDC notes that studies have shown respirators to be more effective than medical masks, and that increased ventilation with outdoor air is helpful. For how fit and filtration relate, see how masks and respirators work, and for the evidence behind these statements, what the evidence says.
Wildfire smoke
CDC's wildfire safety page (reviewed 24 August 2026) says that staying inside is best, and that anyone who must go outside should wear a NIOSH Approved respirator that fits tightly. It shows N95 or P100 as most protective, and says children aged 2 and older can wear respirators and masks. The NIOSH page on community respirators and masks (25 March 2025) adds that cloth and disposable masks are the least effective at reducing exposures. Particle filters do not remove gases or vapors, according to the same page.
Certain occupations
NIOSH says that when employers require respirators in a workplace they should be used as part of a respiratory protection program, and notes that the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires many workplaces to follow a Respiratory Protection Standard. The types sheet and standards sheet explain the labels used in those settings.
A person's own clinician or occupational-health adviser has the final word, and local public-health advice should be checked for what applies now.
The short version
On the dated pages opened, health bodies describe masks as an extra layer of protection in particular situations: higher-risk people in crowded places, anyone with symptoms who must go out, health-care settings, wildfire smoke and some workplaces. Respirators protect the wearer better than cloth or surgical masks when fitted properly. Rules vary by place and over time, so current local advice comes first.