A mask is something that no one would ever want to put on. I’m sure I don’t.
But don’t let me get ahead of myself. I’m not feeling suffocated, dehumanized or put-upon. It’s easy to forget that I have one. This is a little bit annoying and not something I would like to do.
However, simple etiquette is not enough. In many cases we must wear them or risk a penalty. Many others ask us to do so. Most of us do.
Although mask mandates were removed in July of last year, they were reinstated in December when Omicron struck. However, more than half the Britons still wear them in many circumstances, as a matter of preference.
Did it really need to be? One in fifty people in the second wave of Covid had been diagnosed in January 2021. It fell then rose again and was now one in 50 across England.
Some hotspots had higher numbers. One in 25 people in England are affected by this phenomenon, which is quite alarming.
It was possible to come into contact with someone who has the virus in your daily life.
BARNEY CALMAN: Some types of mask are vastly superior – namely, FFP2 masks (pictured), the ones that look like a beak. They aren’t the type most people will wear.
Wearing a mask is a good idea in some situations.
We now come to the complex and difficult question: “Do masks work?”
They do, in short. Masks can be used to stop viral particles from getting in or out.
Many studies have shown it and you can’t argue against the facts.
But, there are those – generally not people I’d go to for medical or scientific advice, perhaps – who say they don’t.
A truly bizarre clip was recently posted on YouTube by Piers Corbyn (brother of former Labour leader Jeremy), and a rag-tag group of supporters. They sang ‘Wearing a Mask is Like Trying to Keep a Fart in Your Trousers’ while walking naked through a London Tube train.
These people are absolutely insane. This is a crazy idea.
In fact, they have a point. Some types of mask are vastly superior – namely, FFP2 masks, the ones that look like a beak. They aren’t the type most people will wear.
The problem is that our health officials haven’t made it clear what the relative advantages and differences are.
In all honesty, until recently – after a holiday in the south of Germany, where people are required by law to wear FFP2 masks – I didn’t know how stark the differences were, either.
BARNEY CAMAN: According to studies, a typical cloth mask offers only 30-60% protection. Surgical masks (pictured) – those blue pleated ones commonly worn in the UK – while better, at 40 to 80 per cent, lack a tight fit to the face
Back in April 2020 – what feels like a lifetime ago – The Mail on Sunday was the first mainstream newspaper to suggest mask-wearing might be a good idea.
Officials at that time claimed the public didn’t have to.
Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer had stated that wearing a mask when you do not have an infection will reduce the likelihood of getting one. We don’t recommend that.
Instead, the guidance consisted of washing our hands and singing Happy Birthday.
Covid first appeared as a surface-based option.
A person infected can cough up or sneeze, and then spray virus-laden droplets onto surfaces.
Transmission occurs when you come in contact with them. The virus was depicted in an NHS commercial as dayglo oil smeared on doors and cups. It would make sense to wash your hands if such a thing were true.
It was also possible to be concerned that if everyone rushes out to buy medical masks there won’t be enough for nurses and doctors.
PPE was scarce back in those days. But what happened? It was first discovered that Covid spread via people infected with the virus but not knowing it.
Scientists knew that if everyone wore masks it would reduce the transmission of HIV.
The Mail on Sunday columnist, Dr Ellie Cannon (GP), was so worried that she broke ranks and suggested that people should not wait to receive guidance but that they just need one.
The US Surgeon General recommended that she give a technique for creating a mask using a folded and cut T-shirt. Ellie was then invited to assist with mask-wearing promotion when the law was finalized in July of that year.
Since then, we’ve learnt even more – namely, while better than nothing, cloth face masks are not a great option.
They’re are moderately effective at capturing particles coming out of your own mouth – in science lingo, it’s called ‘source control’.
These products do help to some extent. They do not provide a lot of’respiratory safety’ for the user.
Covid doesn’t spread primarily by droppings but rather through the particles in the atmosphere. It is important to have a quality mask that fits properly and is well-made.
According to studies, a cloth mask can provide protection of only 30% to 60%.
Before entering the Pourtales hospital, Neuchatel in western Switzerland on December 21st 2021, a health worker adjustments her FFP2 face mask.
Surgical masks – those blue pleated ones commonly worn in the UK – while better, at 40 to 80 per cent, lack a tight fit to the face.
The mask is exposed to a lot of water. The FFP2 masks (FFP is for “filtering facial piece”) are far superior. This high-performance mask is made up of multiple layers of dense fabrics which can filter out even the smallest viral particles.
These masks provide respiratory protection that is five-ten times greater than those made from cloth, and offer additional protection.
Aerosol laboratory studies have shown this to be true. They shoot gas through masks, and then measure the efficiency of filtering out tiny particles.
You can also find real-life examples. We reported last week that FFP3-based masks provide’most probably 100 per cent protection from infection on wards,’ according to a University of Cambridge study.
Study author Chris Illingworth, an infectious diseases expert, wrote: ‘Once FFP3 masks were introduced, the number of cases attributed to exposure on Covid-19 wards dropped – in fact, our model suggests FFP3 [masks]This may have prevented ward-based infectivity from becoming a problem.
A side note: Experts caution against wearing masks with circular filters on the side. They are not intended to filter your air, and can be harmful for those who live nearby.
FFP2 masks are required in the public eye by Italy and Austria, along with Germany.
But our mask mandate isn’t specific. According to the Government’s website, face covers can still be made of comfortable material such as cotton.
FFP2 masks are more expensive – roughly £1 per mask, versus 50p per surgical mask.
We’re talking about economic consequences of Covid being caught and isolated. Perhaps policymakers and business leaders should take a stand and provide masks to help address the issue.
This boils down to: If we wear masks, are they at all practical? These masks will not only prevent someone from giving us Covid but they also hinder us getting it.