[chasd00]

does it have to be n95 to prevent spread? my understanding was the n95 rating protects you from infected people where a plain old surgical mask protects others from you. In other words, the n95 mask has what it needs to prevent you inhaling the virus where a regular mask has what it needs to prevent a sneeze or cough from escaping to the people around you.

[lonelappde]

Can you explain how that could possibly be true?

A surgical mask is just a simpler cheaper, less complete and less effective mask than an N95 mask, used in lower risk situations or when N95 is desired but not available.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandDifferenceInf...

[ThrowAway83774]

Your understanding is incomplete. Both filter virus particles with different degrees of effectiveness. Viruses are typically most present in aerosolized droplets which are much much bigger than the gap size of a surgical or n95 mask.