Right now during the epidemic, at the hospital where my sister works, the healthcare workers wear the n95 and the patients and visitors are given surgical masks.

This is the same principle behind the new mask wearing requirements in many countries. In Germany right now, you are required to wear a mask in public transportation and when shopping. This is not to protect the wearer but everyone else. That is why it only works if everyone complies.

The biggest risk areas are of course these two areas, because it is many strangers coming into contact with each other in an enclosed space. If you are outside and not squished together, the chance of contagion is extremely low. That is why you don't have to wear a mask here when walking around outside.

In Germany some people where homemade or purchased cloth masks. But you can now get disposable ones in the pharmacies again, so some people wear those instead. I haven't tried the latter, but people say they are more comfortable to wear. That is the main difference I guess. 

So bottom line, if you want to protect yourself, you have to wear a properly fitting n95. But these are not available and in most countries people are being asked to reserve these for healthcare and other first responders like police.

My wife is a bit freaked out, because teachers are also very exposed. But she can't wear an n95 while teaching even if they were made available to teachers. The schools I think pose the biggest issue right now, when they reopen. In Germany they will start with just a few classes and try to minimize the kids in each class. Also teachers in risk groups are not expected to teach. This doesn't help the bigger problem though, because how do you teach less children with a deficit of teachers. It is a giant problem still.

I made the suggestion to my wife that kids at least be expected to wear masks in between classes while walking in the hallways. She suggested this to the principle and it is being initiated. This is pretty depressing, because why are we having to provide guidance to the school? So even in Germany, where it seems like we have things in better control than a lot of other places, not everything is running as it could be.