Flat out bad advice to not buy a face mask.
The best arguments against wearing the mask I've seen come down to: "well, it doesn't stop the virus completely, so might as well not wear one."
This is just nonsense. Whatever precautions can be taken to slow down the transmission of the virus should be taken. Probably the best evidence for why masks should be worn is looking at the infection rates for mask wearing versus non-mask wearing countries.
Why masks lower COVID-19 deathsMasks aid in decreasing COVID-19's virality by three pathways.
- Decreasing virus spread by infected individuals. The mask traps virus particles on the inside, preventing the virus particles becoming airborne. Protect others.
- Decreasing new infections by uninfected individuals. The mask prevents airborne virus particles being inhaled from the outside. Protect yourself.
- Limiting hand to face contact. The mask puts a physical barrier between potentially contaminated hands and passages to one's lungs.
Now, you can say this information is incorrect and just propaganda set forth by "big mask," or you could just use common sense in realizing that putting _any_ sort of physical shield (even a piece of bread) in front of your mouth and nose slows down transmission of airborn particles that might otherwise enter those orifices.
Where I live, wearing a mask outside is absolutely required. Even if its just a cloth mask or a bandana, you _must_ have one, as something is absolutely better than nothing. And its just a courtesy to others to stop your phlegm, mucous and spit from shooting freely into the open.