Should the public wear facemasks?
Should the public wear facemasks?
It's interesting to watch how the narrative is changing on the public wearing masks is ever evolving. Less than seven days ago, on 30th April 2020, government advice was unchanged for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the wearing of masks by the public had not been recommended.
This was against a backdrop of other countries adopting compulsory mask wearing and in contrast The World Health Organization (WHO) saying only two groups of people should wear protective masks, those who are:
- sick and showing symptoms
- caring for people suspected to have coronavirus
The WHO says medical masks should be reserved for healthcare workers.
Masks are not generally recommended for the public because:
- they can be contaminated by other people's coughs and sneezes, or when putting them on or removing them
- frequent hand-washing and social distancing are more effective
- they might offer a false sense of security
So it is no surprise there is confusion on this subject. Now just 7 days on we wonder if the narrative is about to change?
Are we about to see a change in advice?
The UK government is under increasing economic pressure to ease lockdown measures, whilst mainstream media and opposition parties are adding to the narrative, so are we about to see a change in this advice?
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister is set to make an announcement next week, on Monday.
We watch with interest to see if advice regarding the public wearing face masks is about to change.
