Are the British conformist or libertarian? Our face mask response is telling | Richard Coker
Mixed messages from government don't help, but face masks must become a social norm to have an impact on coronavirus
Later this week, the wearing of masks in shops and supermarkets will become mandatory in England. The question then will be how quickly the public accepts this new law - whether face masks become a social norm could be of vital importance to public health.
The science behind the benefits of mask wearing is pretty solid. Masks principally protect others. You wear them because you don't want to pass on a nasty virus that you may not know you have. Pretty simple. Mathematical models suggest the more people that wear masks, the lower the transmission rate (effective R"). And when we look abroad, the evidence supports this contention.
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