Masks. It’s on all our minds right now. Especially due to the new rules starting to be enforced in England relating to the wearing of masks on public transport and in shops.

But, what do the different people in England (especially London) think about the new rules being introduced again in the UK? I was keen to find out about the views held by many people across England - whether they like having masks covering their faces and protecting from Covid-19 or they did not, whether it was for social interactions or even related to their job.

 

I asked a firm mask wearer, aged 47, who believes that the rules should definitely be implemented and that people should follow the rules until the pandemic comes to an end. She continues to say that “masks enable us to prevent spreading the virus to each other which would in turn help to prevent spread of disease. It is a protective barrier for us and a protective barrier for others. By preventing the spread of the virus from one person to another, the virus could be prevented from mutating into more dangerous variants which may increase the fatality rate.”

 

I then asked a school student, aged 17, who replied that “although masks can be a nuisance, I believe that they are essential in helping to stop the spread of the virus in year groups which can in turn lead to the spread of the virus among the members of the entire school which may lead to another occurrence of online learning, the effectiveness of which is debatable.”

 

Studies suggest that masks provide more protection to others than the person wearing it as it prevents the transmission of droplets between people. However, some studies also suggest that it does provide some protection to the wearer as well.

 

Looking at all this, from my own personal point of view, I would say that the wearing of masks would be better for the larger group of people (excluding the medically exempt) as the more people that have masks increase, the more people that are protected increase.