April 22, 2020
We’re here to guide you through the Coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Should We Be Wearing DIY Face Masks Or Face Covers In The UK?
Face covers, or DIY cloth masks, are now mandatory – or at the very least recommended – in many parts of the world. The UK government has yet to shift its official stance, but there are growing calls from some scientists and doctors that we should all be wearing homemade masks outdoors.
In the US, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has updated its guidance to recommend that people now wear cloth ‘face coverings’ in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain – at the supermarket, the doctor’s or on public transport, for example.
This is because studies have found Covid-19 can be transmitted by people who don’t even show symptoms, meaning the coronavirus could be transferred between people in close proximity – whether speaking, coughing or sneezing.
The idea is that if your nose and mouth are covered, it reduces the risk of your droplets (from your saliva or mucus, but also tiny droplets you expel but can’t necessarily see) landing on someone else.Related... Everything You Need To Know About Face Masks And Coronavirus In Europe, countries including the Czech Republic and Slovakia have imposed mandatory face-covering. Czech citizens led a campaign to make and distribute homemade face masks, which resulted in the Czech government making it compulsory for people to wear them when leaving the house.
Influencers and even the mayor of Prague shared selfies sporting homemade masks. As Peter Ludwig, who helped spearhead the #Masks4All movement, says: “We pushed our government to make masks mandatory and in just three days everyone outside was wearing a face mask.”
And in the UK, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan recently came out in support of face coverings for slowing the spread of the virus.
“We are now an international outlier for not recommending their use,” he tweeted. “I urge the government to encourage people to wear non-medical face coverings when they can’t keep a safe distance from others.”
As the UK anticipates life beyond lockdown, the question of whether we should be covering our faces when we leave the house is unlikely to go away.Face masks or covers: what’s the difference?Trisha Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Health Care Services at the University of Oxford, is one of the scientists who thinks the UK public should now be wearing face covers when in crowded places like public transport and supermarkets. “It’s a socially responsible thing to do and may save lives,” she tells HuffPost UK.
It’s important we make a distinction made between covers and masks, she says. The two are often conflated, leading to confusion and the risk that people buy up the surgical masks that healthcare workers desperately need. 
“A medical-grade mask protects the wearer and is needed by front-line healthcare workers. It’s also not very attractive or comfortable,” she says. “A cloth mask protects other people from your coughs and sneezes. It’s more comfortable and you can personalise it and make it fit your own style.”
There are guides online for how to create a DIY face covering. Prof Greenhalgh says: “You can make it out of a soft old t-shirt, for example. Chuck it in the laundry at the end of the day; detergent kills the Covid virus.”
However, some remain sceptical. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert and Professor in Medicine at University of East Anglia, has analysed numerous studies on the use and effectiveness of face masks.
Discussing whether face covers in particular are effective, he previously told HuffPost UK: “We don’t know enough. A simple bit of a t-shirt is unlikely to do a great deal, but that’s not to say all cloth masks will be pointless. My advice would be that they’re not that useful.”
The government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) met on Tuesday to review the evidence on face masks – the group is apparently split on the best policy to adopt because of the evidence, the Guardian suggests.So, how effective are face covers?As it stands, there are no trials of face covers such as DIY cloth masks and their ability to protect the general public during a pandemic. 
One study of reusable cotton masks found that if a person had Covid-19 and coughed on someone from a distance of 8in, wearing a cotton mask would reduce the amount of virus transmitted by 36 times. The authors of the study took these findings to mean the cotton mask was ineffective.
Prof Greenhalgh argues otherwise in her essay, Masks For All: The Science Says Yes, with research scientist Jeremy Howard – if a person transmits 1/36th the amount of virus, she says, this decreases the viral load, which is “likely to lead to a lower probability of infection, and fewer symptoms if infected”. 
A previous study from 2015 found cloth masks were less effective than surgical masks in preventing healthcare workers from becoming sick from influenza-like illness. There has been no comparison of cloth masks with no masks, however – nor any studies of their efficacy in public rather than a healthcare setting where exposure to the virus is likely to be higher.Related... No, Face Masks Do Not Replace Social Distancing. Here's Why. Why not just wear face masks?A quick walk around the block reveals many people in the UK have already bought medical-grade face masks – whether from local shops, pharmacies or sellers online. But the government are worried that if the public buys up these supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), key workers may go short.
And they need all the protection they can get. At the time of writing, at least 100 health and care workers are believed to have died of coronavirus, while political debate continues to focus on the shortages of PPE in the UK and the delays and lack of preparedness in getting it to those on the frontline. 
It’s in this context that the government has not officially advised us to cover our faces outside. Public Health England (PHE) recommends that face masks should be used in clinical settings such as hospitals, and by people with symptoms of coronavirus. As yet, it has issued no guidance on face coverings or handmade masks.
When HuffPost UK asked the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) whether its advice on wearing masks or covers is likely to change, a spokesperson referred to the comments of chief government scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance at the daily press conference of April 17.  
“We are looking at it now,” he said. “The evidence is quite variable around masks and it isn’t easy to get a firm position on some of it. One thing that is clear is it is absolutely crucial that the masks are available in hospitals and other high-risk transmission areas.”How to make your own cover or maskIf you do want to make your own, the Masks4All website has a range of online tutorials. It advises the use of tightly woven fabric that you can still breathe through and including a layer of paper towel as a disposable filter – which you can slide between two layers of cloth. 
Critically, wearing a homemade face cover or cloth mask should not detract from the things we should all be doing to reduce our risk of contracting the virus – hand-washing, covering coughs and sneezes, social distancing, adhering to lockdown measures and self-isolating (where needed).A new study by US-based social enterprise Smart Air of 30 different materials for DIY face masks – including bra pads, coffee filters, pillow cases, electrostatic cloths, cotton T-shirts, wool, bed sheets, polyester, bandanas and more – looked into effectiveness in filtering coronavirus-sized microparticles, as well as their breathability. It recommended denim, bed sheets (80-120 thread count), paper towels and canvas (0.4-0.5mm thick) as the best materials to use.
Some fashion brands have come under fire for manufacturing fashion face coverings. Boohoo, for example, was slammed for selling £5 masks with messages such as “Eat, sleep, isolate, repeat” and “If you can read this, you are too close”. The brand has since apologised and removed the masks from sale.
But Prof Greenwalgh believes “making face coverings a cheap fashion item” is exactly what is needed. “We need clear water between PPE for healthcare workers and what we wear to go shopping,” she tweeted – adding that her son is a health-care worker and she doesn’t want people “taking his masks”.How to wear a DIY cover or mask safelyOn 6 April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued guidance to reflect the changing stance on face masks in different countries – if people wear masks, they should use them safely and properly, it said in a statement. 
In a recent editorial in the journal JAMA, researchers shared the best way to wear a face covering:
1. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before putting on your makeshift mask.
2. Secure the mask ties behind your ears or head without touching your face. The mask should fit well over your nose and mouth without restricting your breathing.
3. Do not touch your face or the front of the mask while wearing it.
4. When you come to remove it, release the ear loops or ties without touching your face or mask.
5. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after removing the mask. You should wash your mask after every wear with detergent and at least 60 degrees Celsius.Related... We Don’t Know When Coronavirus Will End. Here’s How To Stop Focusing On It Why We Shouldn't Place All Our Hopes On A Coronavirus Vaccine Does Extreme Heat Or Cold Kill Coronavirus?   
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Ruby Franke’s Husband REVEALS Alleged Rules He Had to Follow at Home | E! News
March 28, 2024
_mU-3lE2QwI
#KenanThompson speaks out following the #QuietonSet documentary. (🎥: Tamron Hall Show) #shorts
March 28, 2024
8AGP-Gfw_Ek
King Charles Shares "Great Sadness" at Missing Royal Appearance | E! News
March 28, 2024
lyizFqf1kQY
Martha Reeves Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 27, 2024
QzyezumEPtQ
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
Montell Jordan Dishes On Young MC Wedding, 'This Is How Date Night' Plans | TMZ
March 28, 2024
G3SMExj-qio
Davina Potratz Says TV Not Helping 'Selling Sunset' Relationship Woes | TMZ
March 28, 2024
D4piy4GNm4k
Logan Paul Rips Graham Bensinger Over Documentary, You Promised Apple TV+ | TMZ Live
March 28, 2024
NiSDpZhZklQ
Prince William pinned royal medal to Spice Girl Mel B’s boobs #shorts
March 28, 2024
O1cQ0UW9pco
Jennifer Garner shares ‘hard’ part of raising her and Ben Affleck’s kids
March 28, 2024
3Q7mZaVUdgc
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy named as an alleged sex worker in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit #shorts
March 28, 2024
yhLFI8DG9rM
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
PSG W - Hacken W
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Barcelona W - SK Brann W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Chelsea W - Ajax W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Lyon W - SL Benfica W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.