N-95 masks undoubtedly provides the most effective protection against minute particulates including the novel coronavirus, but due to the extreme shortage of supply it’s reserved for the front line health care personals. Surgical masks can filter large droplets and big particulate mattes but still it’s not advisable for use to the common public, in such a scenario wearing a universal cloth face mask in combination with meticulous hand hygiene and social distancing can provide a complementary protection and can significantly block the spread of infection.

Keywords : Cloth mask, surgical mask, pandemic, Covid 19, SARS-CoV-2.