@JesseBWatters Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, your ER doc. was right about two things. #1 shield don't do squat except protect you from getting hit in the face with spit, mucus, or sprayed blood. #2 Along the same lines, a surgical mask protects you from someone coughing in your face. The

same materials that the face shield stops.
A N95 respirator stops 95% of contaminates larger than .5 microns. (3M Company Website)
But, only if the mask is properly fitted, if it isn't it's no better than surgical mask.
With cloth masks think of screens the larger the mesh is the

larger the things can get through.
The smaller the mesh only little things get through, like fruit flies.
Covid-19 is from .1 to .12 microns in size.
My experience with masks.......20 years in medical field, over a decade of that in Respiratory Therapy.
I was a 54B in the Army..

Nuclear Biological & Chemical Warfare. My job included making sure everyone's Chemical Mask was fitted correctly. If they weren't the individual was not protected. We used an irritant smoke to check the face/mask seal. You would be surprised at how a mask that looks like it has a

good seal, but, when the smoke was puffed around the mask the individual would start coughing because it would get through the seal.
When researchers work with viruses they don't wear a surgical mask or a N95 mask, they wear a containment suit.
The mask hype, is just that hype.

Hype that is getting the makers of masks, wealthy.
Apologies for being so long winded.