The reason that the healthcare providers need them for protection is that they are in close quarters with patients who are coughing and sneezing so they are at very high risk of catching the virus from the patient. Plus, they use eye protection, gloves, gowns, etc. as well. Even if you were in the middle of Wuhan during the peak of the outbreak, as long as you kept some distance to other people you would not be at that much higher risk of catching it without an N95 mask as with it. If you are in an elevator then the risk changes changes.