What should you wear when entering a room under droplet precautions?

Wearing a surgical mask is appropriate when entering a room under droplet precautions because droplet transmission occurs when respiratory droplets are expelled into the air during activities like talking, coughing, or sneezing. Surgical masks are specifically designed to cover the nose and mouth, providing a barrier that helps prevent the inhalation of these droplets.

While face shields, goggles, and N95 respirators are important in specific contexts, the surgical mask is the standard precaution for droplet transmission. The use of a surgical mask effectively reduces the risk of infection from pathogens that can be spread via respiratory droplets, making it the correct choice for this scenario.