Masks for public ‘could put NHS supplies at risk’

NHS supplies of face masks could be put at risk if the government starts advising the public to wear them, hospital bosses have warned.

It says people who are not in healthcare facilities should only wear masks if they are sick or caring for those who are ill.

But the debate around their use in the UK has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, with proponents arguing they can help reduce the risk of people with the virus passing it on to others.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the wearing of masks while travelling in the city to become compulsory.

The government’s scientific advisers are to meet later to discuss whether the public should be urged to wear masks in a bid to combat coronavirus.

But Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned there should be “clear evidence” to justify their use.

He said securing supplies for NHS staff amid huge global demand was “crucial” But Mr Hopson, who represents healthcare trusts across England, said the impact on the NHS must be fully assessed.

“Fluid-repellent masks for health and care staff are key to safety and to avoid the spread of coronavirus,” he said.

“Securing the supply of masks, when there is huge global demand, is crucial. This must be a key consideration for government.

“There needs to be clear evidence that wearing masks, along with other measures, will deliver significant enough benefits to take us out of lockdown to potentially jeopardise NHS mask supply.”

On Monday, another 449 coronavirus deaths were recorded in UK hospitals – taking the total number to 16,509.

While acknowledging the virus can be passed on by people who are not yet symptomatic, it says: “Current evidence suggests that most disease is transmitted by symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed cases.

Masks can even be a source of infection when not used correctly, the WHO added Dr Helen Davison told the Daily Telegraph the group was “advocating the use of cloth masks as a precautionary principle” and that it had been inspired by action taken in other countries.

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And Prof Babak Javid, consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals, said “population mask wearing should be an important part of the response to Covid”.

He added: “Once Covid cases are largely suppressed, we can stop wearing masks, their incremental gain will be low. But now, to really benefit from masks, the majority of us need to wear masks.”