A widely shared post on social media suggests that masks are not working, or that the COVID-19 case in the UK is ‘fake’. This is misleading. Facial coatings have not been promoted as the solution to prevent all coronavirus transmissions, and there is no evidence that COVID-19 case numbers recorded by the UK government are false.
The report reads: “96% of Britons wear face masks, but ‘cases’ are at record levels. Masks do not work, or the cases are fake. ”(Here)
It is unclear where the 96% figure comes from. A YouGov poll in September found that only 71% of Britons said they had been wearing a face mask to prevent COVID-19 (here) for the past two weeks, and Statista’s online surveys found that more than 11% from 10 January. of the respondents said that they never wore a face mask outside their house (here).
Regardless of the exact number, the wearing of face masks is intended to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and is presumably not sufficient to eliminate the disease.
A study by the Royal Society found that face masks were effective in reducing the spread of the virus, both for the carrier and for those around them (here). However, the study warns: ‘Face masks and covers can not be seen in isolation, but are part of’ policy packages’ and it is essential to review interrelated non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene, disinfectants and social distance, during the maintenance of the 2 meters. or 1 meter + distance rule is not possible. ”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends masks for their role as a barrier to preventing respiratory drops from ending up in the air and elsewhere, citing dozens of studies (here). However, they also warn that a mask is NOT a substitute for social distance. Masks should still be worn except to stay at least 6 feet apart, especially if they are inside people who do not live in your home. ”(Here)
The UK Government’s guidelines on wearing face masks say: “It is important to follow all other government advice on coronavirus.” (here)
Some authorities (here), doctors (here) and media companies (here) used a ‘Swiss Cheese’ model to visualize how protection against COVID-19 works: each line of defense has holes in it, like a slice of Swiss cheese, but several layers make it less and less likely for something harmful to go through. “The holes (or weaknesses) in a single layer of protection are offset by the strengths of another layer of intervention,” a Texas Department of Public Health said of the model. (here)
There is no reason to believe that the number of COVID-19 cases in the UK has been falsified. Recorded deaths due to COVID-19 in the UK (here) support reports that there is an increase in COVID-19 cases.
VERDICT
Untrue. Surveys indicate that less than 90% of British people wear face masks. Face masks are apparently effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19, but apparently do not become sufficient to eliminate COVID-19 without other measures. There is no evidence that the increase in COVID-19 cases reported in the UK is ‘false’.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.