Study suggests face coverings could help drastically cut toll

Making face coverings mandatory in public places, combined with effective testing and tracing, could dramatically cut the number of future deaths from Covid-19, researchers say.

A team of experts looked at different scenarios for capping the UK death toll and concluded that extensive testing, tracing and isolation, combined with widespread use of face coverings, could save 50,000 lives and £700 billion of GDP over the next two years.

They based their death count on a government death toll of just above 40,000 people by June 5, although other estimates put the figure much higher.

At present, face coverings are mandatory on public transport and in hospitals in England and are recommended in crowded places, such as busy shops.

The study, co-led by University College London (UCL), the universities of Edinburgh and Haifa, has not yet been peer-reviewed.

It suggests that the UK death toll could be capped at around 52,000 with effective test, track and trace and the use of face coverings – roughly half the deaths that might be seen without effective test and trace.

The researchers also suggest short additional lockdowns may be needed to drive down the number of Covid-19 cases to allow implementation of a large-scale test-and-trace policy.

The model also assumes that all people with symptoms are tested and all their contacts are traced and do self-isolate.

Lead author Dr Tim Colbourn, from UCL’s Institute for Global Health, said: “Our results make a strong case for expanding testing and tracing immediately to control Covid-19 spread until a vaccine or highly effective drugs are available.”