A face covering is a piece of material which covers your mouth and nose; it is used to help stop you spreading disease such as the Coronavirus. It does not necessarily protect you from catching it. A face mask, however, is personal protective equipment (PPE) used by medical workers, other workers and patients to stop them catching and/or spreading germs or viruses as well as or for other industrial protection.
Medical face masks should be reserved for health workers and other workers who need them. There are different grades but all face masks must comply to certain standards in order to ensure the wearer is well-protected. The most protective mask is the FFP3 or alternatively the N95 or FFP2.
Face coverings , however, do not have any specific standards to comply to – you can even make your own. They are worn by members of the public and along with social distancing and regular hand-washing help stop the virus spreading.