Our local Pediatrician's office and General Practitioner's office both have a policy of giving a disposable face mask to each patient or visitor who has a noticeable cough or runny nose, and insist that it be worn before proceeding with check-in.
These surgical-style disposable face masks were also "popular" during outbreaks of respiratory illnesses over the past decade, including SARS, "Swine Flu" (H1N1), and "Bird Flu" (H3N8).
Is there any evidence to support or discount the effectiveness of disposable face masks in the spread of disease?