...only matter of time mask mandate would be back. So best to wear them and be inconvenienced earlier than later. It would be least costly option and certainly first before lockdown can be contemplated.
...this 3rd wave could be the deadliest yet.
An expert immunologist has warned that people in the UK must start wearing face masks to help fight against rising cases of
Covid-19and avoid a future lockdown.
The warning comes as
Covid-19 infections in the UK doubled by almost 800,000 in a single weeklast week, with some parts of the country nearing record levels of cases. The director-general of the World Health Organisation
recently urgedBrits to re-introduce restrictions to combat the rising numbers, including seeing the return of face masks.
And now Professor Denis Kinane, a world-leading immunologist and founding scientist of Cignpost Diagnostics, has joined such calls. Professor Kinane told
The Mirrorthat people should consider wearing masks again if they want to avoid further restrictions being brought back.
"No one wants to return to full lockdowns, so taking reasonable precautions and being socially responsible is vital,” he said. "This includes using face masks, especially in enclosed and crowded spaces, and where people mix and vocally interact."
Prof Kinane also warned that the virus will continue to evolve and develop in ways that “make it invisible to our immune system” - meaning that even those who are vaccinated or have contracted Covid in the past still risk catching the virus in the future. "We have no indications yet that a step change in disease severity is on the way - but we do know that vaccine immunity begins to wane at three months and in most cases is markedly reduced or non-existent at five months,” he said.
