Face masks do not reduce the risk of infection

sir – If face masks did indeed reduce the risk of infection to surgical patients, as suggested by Malcolm H Wheeler (Letters, July 28), all surgeons would wear them. However, in our practices, we discarded masks more than 20 years ago, after a series of controlled trials showed that using them either had no effect on, or sometimes actually increased, the risk of post-operative infection.

Simply observing that Covid-19 infection rates are lower in some countries where mask use is the norm does not prove cause and effect, which explains why bodies advising ministers were so cautious in recommending face covering. We are told that the present requirement to wear masks in shops is meant to give the public confidence. How insisting on a measure shown to be useless or worse in not dissimilar circumstances will achieve this mystifies us.

John Black FRCS

Malvern, Worcestershire

Antony Narula FRCS

Wargrave, Berkshire