Medics call for public to make their own face masks to combat coronavirus

  • Anglia

A group of medics have called on people to make their own face masks to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The campaign group Masks4All has suggested that home-made masks can slow the spread of Covid-19.

Prof Babak Javid, consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge UniversityHospitals, said that he believes that "population maskwearing should be an important part of the response to Covid", he added:

But the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that there is no evidence to support the use of masks in the general population.

In the wider community outside of health and care facilities, people shouldwear masks if they are sick or caring for those who are ill, the WHO said.

The Masks4All campaign group was started in the Czech Republic, but now has a global following, and now more than 100 UK medics have lent support to the campaign.

Watch their video below:

But WHO guidance issued earlier this month acknowledges that the virus could be passed on by people who are not yet symptomatic, but it states: "Current evidence suggests that most disease is transmitted by symptomatic laboratory confirmed cases."

It adds: "There is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses."

It warned that the use of masks by the public can create a "false sense ofsecurity" and lead to people ignoring other protective measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.

Masks can even be a source of infection when not used correctly, the WHOadded.

Scientific advisers for the Government are carrying out a review on facemasks.Dr Paul Cosford, Medical Director of Public Health England explains their stance on face masks

Dr Paul Cosford, Medical Director of Public Health England told ITV News: "Our guidance is clear that the most important time to use face masks is in the clinical care setting, that's for people who are looking after patients either with Covid-19 or with other diseases or of course for people who have Covid-19 themself and to help stop transmitting to other people."

"The most thing for us to remember about reducing the spread of infection is the social distancing measures that we have got."

Dr Cosford also urged everyone to follow the guidelines to stay at home and if you do go out for essential reasons then to stay two metres apart and adhere to social distancing.

Coronavirus: Why social distancing works

He adds: "We do the hand-washing, we do the coughing or sneezing into a tissue and throwing that out and we absolutely do not go out when we are unwell."

He continued: "The added benefit to face masks, which is really quite marginal and is not something we recommend, it is important if you have got disease to stop spreading disease, but it is not our current recommendation."

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know: