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Suffocation. Itchy. Dehumanization. Oppressive. Deeply un-British. Just a few of the terms used to describe the mask wearing experience.
Despite the discomfort, we have taken it for the health of our nation and we are told to do whatever we can to end this nightmare as soon as possible.
And last week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan argued that we should extend anger to nature – on our main roads – to protect our Christmas colleagues.
The World Health Organization (WHO) asks us to wear face masks at the Christmas table.
Despite the discomfort, we endure the wearing of face masks for the health of our nation and we are told we must do everything possible to end this nightmare as soon as possible
But does all wearing a face mask help? Surveys show that three-quarters of Britons wear masks in mandatory areas – in public transit, offices, pubs and restaurants when they’re not at a table, and in most indoor spaces.
Nonetheless, the infection is still spreading at a rate that would allow 38 million Britons to be banned from mixing indoors with anyone outside their household.
Last week, cases increased in all regions of England except Yorkshire and the Humber, and infection rates in some regions doubled from April.
So are they useless after all? If Mr. Khan’s logic is to be believed, the problem may be that we don’t wear them outdoors – surrounded by crowds. However, studies show that only 1 in 100 cases is transmitted outside.
Nations like Spain and Italy that introduced the use of masks outdoors have not been spared further devastating waves.
Indoors, masks are believed to trap the virus particles expelled from an infected person’s mouth or nose when they cough, stutter, sneeze, or speak. Over the past six months, some studies seem to have shown that they are effective at doing this. In June, The Lancet compiled data from 172 studies in 16 countries and concluded that two meters of social distancing and wearing a face mask reduced the risk of contracting Covid.
An American study published in August found that rates were four times lower in countries where wearing masks was considered the norm or government enforced.
In the UK, most of the data has shown that masks are effective at the population level when an infected person wears them.
A sign urging people to wear protective face masks displayed in London earlier this year. Surveys show that three quarters of British people wear masks in mandatory areas
Professor Paul Digard, a virologist at the University of Edinburgh who was involved in the study, explains: “One of the main sources of transmission is droplets of liquid – such as coughs and sneezes – that make the virus fly through the air.
“Covid particles are too small to be stopped by a mask, but they often migrate in larger water droplets. These droplets are large enough to be enclosed in a mask. “
However, droplets aren’t the only way the virus can spread. In July, the WHO published new guidelines on the spread of viruses through smaller, light particles that move through the air like smoke or dust and linger long after the infected person leaves the region.
“Masks can do little to stop transmission in the air,” says Prof. Digard. “Covid particles that are not in water droplets are too small to be stopped by them.” However, he adds that only a minority of infections are transmitted by airborne infections because viral particles don’t linger in the air too long. However, there is little evidence of effectiveness in real-world environments.
Most of the research, completed in the spring and summer, involved laboratory testing using artificial respirators to simulate human coughs and observing how effective masks limit the movement of water droplets.
Last week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan argued that we should extend anger to nature – on our main roads – to protect our Christmas colleagues
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