HISTORY CASE NOTES

OLD medical practices still relevant today. This week: Masks and social distancing WHEN the bubonic plague first hit Europe in the 1300s, ‘plague doctors’ wore a distinctive outfit that has some resonance with today — a beaked mask, full-length leather coat and a cane.

The mask wasn’t for protection but was filled with herbs such as lavender to disguise the smell of open sores caused by the disease (although some herbs are antimicrobial).

The long beak and cane were to ensure doctors didn’t get too close to their patients and catch the plague from them — effectively social distancing.

Now, of course, we know the mask might have offered protection. A review in The BMJ this month, analysing 35 of the main studies to date, found that wearing masks cut the incidence of infection from Covid by 53 per cent, and social distancing by 25 per cent.