Scientists have long cautioned that masks alone will not prevent Covid-19 transmission, and should be combined with physical distancing and hand-washing.
Even so, “the research suggests that cloth face coverings are a useful tool in the fight against Covid-19 and help to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus”, said Prof Miles Carroll, head of research at Public Health England’s National Infection Service.
Yet, faced with more transmissible variants, some experts believe people should consider wearing medical-grade masks – particularly if they are likely to be in close proximity to other people indoors for extended periods of time.
“People should be using the best mask available to them, and the government should make it as clear as possible as to what this means,” said Dr Allen Haddrell at the University of Bristol’s Aerosol Research Centre. “Given the concern with how infectious this new strain appears to be, the goal of the French government is to try to limit the amount of viral aerosol exposure across the board,” he said.