 The U.S. CDC does not recommend use of face masks or respirators in non @-@ health care settings , such as schools , workplaces , or public places , with a few exceptions : people who are ill with the virus when around other people , and people who are at risk for severe illness while caring for someone with the flu . There has been some disagreement about the value of wearing facial masks , some experts fearing that masks may give people a false sense of security and should not replace other standard precautions . Masks may benefit people in close contact with infected persons , but it is unknown whether they prevent H1N1 flu infection . Yukihiro Nishiyama , professor of virology at Nagoya University 's School of Medicine , commented that the masks are " better than nothing , but it 's hard to completely block out an airborne virus since it can easily slip through the gaps " . 
