Fatal hesitation over face masks cost lives

SADLY, initial UK hesitancy has resulted in this UK catastrophe, much worse than most of Europe and much much worse than Far Eastern countries and Australia and New Zealand.

However, the USA and Latin America and South America are sadly experiencing a second rise of cases at an alarming rate.

Initially, back in February and March, face masks and full PPE were identified for use by our health professionals in the NHS, chemists, GP surgeries, etc, but NOT the general public. For the general public, the position & advice was “wash your hands“and “herd immunity”.

When the first case in England was identified in York back in early February, it was seen that several international students studying in York wore face masks, who had been advised to do so by their doctor parents in China.

During the Covid-19 peak in April, there was NO advice by Government for the general public to wear face masks.

Now post-lockdown, it is essential that a second wave of Covid-19 is avoided at at all costs. We need our UK economy now to bounce back with vigour.

Maybe the use of face masks is required but where should we be wearing face masks? Obviously, if a two-metre social distancing cannot be maintained, then a face mask is a good idea. It makes sense to wear a face mask on the busy London Underground and public transport like railways and buses. It makes sense to wear a face mask on an aircraft, where the same pressurised air is being recirculated around the cabin during the flight. It makes sense to wear a face mask in a busy airport terminal building.

Which sort of face mask should we be really using?. Should it be a FFP1 type, or the many times better FFP2 type, or the even many times better still, FFP3 type. Should it be a homemade pretty face mask, or will a raised scarf solve the problem. Who knows?

The UK scientific guidance and advice has changed and the World Health Organisation have changed the advice and recommendation about wearing face masks over the last few months too.

In recent weeks, in England, we seemed to getting back to some normality, but wearing face masks is going to certainly scare many UK folks from coming out of there homes again.

Sadly, it seems we should have been wearing face masks from back in February, like the Chinese doctors advised their sons and daughters studying at our UK universities. It was plain to see in Wuhan, China, in February and Milan, Italy, in March that face masks were a good idea.

Should we have been advised to wear face masks at the start of the first Wave in February and March? Would this single measure have saved tens of thousands of UK lives? Perhaps so.

If we do, it needs to be a FFP3 type, for sure, one would think, when two-metre social distancing cannot be maintained.

However, the receptors for Covid-19 are in our eyes and noses, so should we be wearing safety glasses too?

Sounds like a whole new fashion industry of smart face masks and cool safety glasses could be required soon.

Sadly, further UK hesitancy has resulted in further UK catastrophe. Ivan Gould

Chilwell