Are n95 masks considered basic? I would think a basic face mask refers to something like a surgical mask, which doesn't protect the wearer but protects others from getting infected by droplets from the wearer.
EDIT: Remember, though, that you can still be infected through exposed eyes, having virus on your hands and touching your face when taking off the mask, etc. Also, there was some evidence for rare cases of what looked like aerosol spread with the original SARS. In his recent interview on This Week in Virology Ian Lipkin mentioned a study in Beijing in the SARS outbreak where people with consistent mask use saw infections Ian Lipkin by 70% compared to no mask use. That's good but it isn't immunity.
Perhaps due to poor fitting, they were also seen as questionably effective and prone to making your safety googles fog up.