Public warned not to wear face masks as UK will be ‘guided by scientists’

A government Minister has said on Friday that the public will not be told to wear face masks unless government scientists say otherwise.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC that the governments scientific advisors, a sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) are looking into evidence over masks.

Shapps said, “We need to absolutely be guided by the scientists.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has told Londoners he wants everyone to wear faces masks to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Shapps added that Khan “acknowledges… that it is possible that wearing of masks could do more harm than good in certain situations.

“There is also evidence out there that wearing it could be counter-productive so, rather than sort of jump to the incorrect conclusion and do more harm than good, I think it’s right to ask the scientists to provide guidance on it.

“If the scientists come out and say yep this is actually what people need to do, then fine we will absolutely ask people to do that. But until they do do that and unless they do that that isn’t the message that we’re going to be sending.”

The UK’s health minister Helen Whately has said that the use of face masks in public is not “recommended” and what it is important, is “handwashing.”

LondonLovesBusiness spoke to a doctor, who said, face masks “are only really helpful for airborne infections, which the coronavirus is not.

“If you buy the cheaper masks and change them over when they become wet [they are then not effective]they are good enough to avoid you putting your hands to your mouth and avoid catching any droplets in the air from someone sneezing or coughing.

“The masks are only really needed if you are in busy areas with lots of people in close proximity.”

However, the health minister previously told the BBC, “The advice I have been given is that members of the public are not particularly recommended to use face masks.

“They may be used by clinicians but actually they are not something that is recommended for the general public.

“The important thing is the handwashing advice and the use of tissues.”