Learning English. I'm Rob.

And I'm Sam.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic,

people in many countries around the world

have started wearing face masks to protect

both themselves and others they come into

contact with. In this programme we'll

be asking whether wearing masks in public

can help prevent the spread of coronavirus

in the community?

Face masks have long been popular in some

Asian countries but with the spread of

Covid-19, they're increasingly being seen in other

parts of the world too.

Wearing a protective mask or face covering

is nothing new. Medical masks have a long

history from the plagues of medieval Europe

to nineteenth century outbreaks of cholera

in the United States, but when did they start

to be commonly used? That's my quiz question

for today: when and where were face masks

first widely used? Was it:

a) 1855 in Vienna, b) 1905 in Chicago, or

c) 1955 in London.

Well, you mentioned cholera outbreaks in the

US, so I'll say b) 1905 in Chicago.

Right Sam, we'll find out later if you were

right. Now, face masks may inspire confidence

but what is the evidence that they actually

protect the wearer from contracting the virus

or prevent infected people from spreading

the virus to others?

Professor Robert West has conducted a review

of over twenty studies looking into the evidence.

Here he is speaking to the BBC World Service

programme Health Check…

The evidence is equivocal on it. It doesn't

tell you anything yet - hopefully that will

change. So we're thrown back on first principles

and this is why, as in so many areas of public

health, you get such a heated debate because

people are really relying on their opinion

on things and you will have one group who

say, 'Well, it stands to reason',

the good old

'stands to reason' argument – which

is: obviously, if you've got a covering

in front of your face, and you're speaking

or coughing into that covering, it's going

to trap quite a lot of the virus on the droplets

you'll be emitting.

So far the evidence over whether face masks

are helpful or harmful is equivocal – difficult

to interpret because it seems to have two

opposite or contradictory meanings.

Based on current evidence, Professor West

feels we cannot say whether mask-wearing

is beneficial.

Some evidence suggests that wearing masks

can prevent the disease spreading and some

suggests the opposite.

There may be reasons why wearing

masks could actually increase the spread

of coronavirus.

However for some people, it stands to reason

that masks are beneficial– meaning it is

obviously true from the facts.

Actually, the evidence is far from obvious.

But everyone has an opinion on the issue and

after weeks of stressful lockdown, this can

lead to heated debate – discussion or argument

in which people become angry and excited.

Up until recently, the World Health Organisation

said there were two groups who definitely

should wear masks: people showing symptoms

of the virus and their carers.

But that left the problem of people who have

the virus without knowing it and maybe

unintentionally emitting it – sending

something out into

the air, for example a noise or smell, or

in this case, coronavirus. In June the WHO

advice changed – now they say masks should

be worn in public where social distancing

measures are not possible.

But the advantages of wearing masks might

be outweighed by other considerations, as

Professor West explains…

It could also have unfortunate negative

consequences in terms of mask shaming

– that people feel

compelled to wear masks in situations where

it's actually not helpful and may be harmful

because it's expected of them and they feel

that they would be judged if they didn't.

But I think in addition to that, one of the

problems we have is that masks can potentially

create a false sense of security.

One negative effect is the practice of mask

shaming – criticising or humiliating someone

for not wearing a face covering.

Another problem is that wearing masks might

create a false sense of security – a feeling

of being safer than you really are. Is that

what happened in 1905 Rob?

Ah yes, today's quiz question. I asked you

when face masks were first widely used?

And I said, b) 1905 in Chicago.

Well done Sam, you were absolutely right!

It was 1905 in Chicago when Dr Alice Hamilton

first noticed that carers wearing masks to

treat scarlet fever patients,

did not get sick.

Interesting. Today we we've been discussing

whether wearing masks helps prevent infected

people emitting – or sending out, coronavirus.

So far the evidence is equivocal – unclear

because it seems contradictory. In other words,

we can't say either way for certain.

But for some, it stands to reason - meaning

it's obviously true - that mask-wearing

is a good idea.

This disagreement over wearing face coverings

has started heated debate – that's discussion

which becomes angry or excited.

And this in turn has led to incidents of mask

shaming – criticising or mocking people

for not wearing a face mask.

A final drawback is that masks might give

the wearer a false sense of security – that's

belief that they are safe when they are not.

That's all we've got time for today.

Bye for now!

Bye!