Just to clarify, it's slightly more complicated than this. Surgical masks (note the name) protect _others_ from you. (They are unlikely to do much to protect y

Just to clarify, it's slightly more complicated than this. Surgical masks (note the name) protect _others_ from you. (They are unlikely to do much to protect you from others, but I suppose it might be possible under fairly limited circumstances.) N95 and other test fit respirators protect _you_ from the environment in general. (I suppose they would also protect others from you, but that's really not their point.) Gloves protect both parties from each other. When working with highly contagious patients, medical providers wear additional PPE as well (face shields, goggles, suits, etc).