(CNN)It's the debate heard 'round the world: Should you or shouldn't you wear a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic?
That's something White House and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials are discussing, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert.
"The thing that has inhibited that a bit is to make sure we don't take away the supply of masks from the health care workers who need them," Fauci added. "But when we get in a situation where we have enough masks, I believe there will be some very serious consideration about more broadening this recommendation of using masks. We're not there yet, but I think we're close to coming to some determination.
"Because if, in fact, a person who may or may not be infected wants to prevent infecting somebody else, the best way to do that is with a mask. Perhaps that's the way to go."
Fauci warned, "You don't want to take masks away from the health care providers who are in a real and present danger of getting infected. That would be the worst thing we do. If we have them covered, then you could look back and say maybe we need to broaden this."
Meanwhile, many health experts already have turned to social media to make the argument for the public to wear masks, signaling a shift in some medical opinions around the topic.
Different types of masks under debate
In this debate, there are different types of masks in question: N95 respirator masks, surgical masks and cloth masks, which could be homemade.
"There's not any great proof that that's going to make a big difference. Those are used to prevent getting the disease from health care workers that are in close proximity to patients with it," Phillips said.
He added that surgical masks or cloth masks are different.
"Those are designed to keep the droplets that may be infected from coming out of your own mouth and nose on to other people, thus, spreading the disease. It makes logical sense that if everyone, including those who may be spreading the virus, was wearing that mask as sort of a shield over their face to prevent droplets from getting out into the air, that it would limit the transmission of the virus," Philips said on New Day.
"Now, cloth masks are not recommended to try to prevent you from getting disease, that's been shown to not work -- that's why we don't wear cloth masks in the hospital," he said. "I think the CDC and the federal government will end up coming out with a recommendation for people to wear masks, specifically to prevent droplet spread. I think that's coming."
The countries where masks are mandatory
Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have all made face coverings in public mandatory. Many Czechs are even sewing their own masks as the world experiences a shortage.
Authorities in the German town of Jena on Tuesday said it planned to make wearing a mask mandatory in shops and on public transport, as well as other public places. Even a personal scarf or cloth over the face will do.
WHO and US CDC experts have long argued that people who are not sick nor caring for someone who is sick should leave masks in the medical supply chain for health care workers who need them most.
"We know a major way that you can get respiratory diseases like coronaviruses is by touching a surface and then touching your face," Adams said. "So wearing a mask improperly can actually increase your risk of getting disease."
Some experts who have made the argument for people to wear masks have pointed to past research showing the effectiveness of masks against the spread of influenza and to early research on Covid-19.
A global shortage
As the debate continues around whether the public should wear masks, the world faces a serious shortage of medical supplies for doctors.
WHO officials warned during a media briefing in Geneva last week that there is a "significant shortage" of medical supplies globally, including personal protective gear or PPE.
"We need to be clear: The world is facing a significant shortage of PPE for our frontline workers -- including masks and gloves and gowns and face shields -- and protecting our health care workers must be the top priority for use of this PPE," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, said during the briefing.
All elements of the supply chain for supplies appear to be under "extreme strain," said Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO executive director of health emergencies programme.
"There are problems in the supply chain all along that chain. The simple issue is demand," he said. "There are shortages of PPE, shortages of ventilators and other products for the medical response to Covid. We also have to avoid shortages in other medical supplies, as supply chains come under strain."