Are face masks effective in protecting against COVID-19?

If you are infected, the use of surgical face masks may reduce the risk of your infecting other people, but there is no evidence that face masks will effectively prevent you from being infected with the virus. In fact, it is possible that the use of face masks may even increase the risk of infection due to a false sense of security and increased contact between hands, mouth and eyes.

Source : European Center for Disease Prevention and Control