Original version

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Radio

World Service Radio

Health Check

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

Health Check: Should we wear face masks?

Magazines & Reviews

Young woman with mask on the street

2020/05/06 GMT

Should we wear face masks?

BBC World Service - Health Check, Should we wear face masks?

Does the wearing of face masks by the public prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Face masks and coronavirus; respiratory physiotherapy for covid-19 patients; remdesivir; covid-19 and diabetes; coronavirus transmission in the workplace.

Does the wearing of face masks by the public prevent the transmission of coronavirus in the community? Professor Robert West of University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology has participated in a review of more than 20 studies on this important question. The analysis concludes that the evidence is equivocal. In other words, based on current evidence, Prof West feels we cannot say whether mask wearing is a beneficial thing to do. It cannot be ruled out that masks may in fact increase the spread of the virus through communities. This week’s Health Check guest epidemiologist Professor Matthew Fox of Boston University offers an alternative perspective.  

Also in the show, the role of respiratory physiotherapists in helping seriously ill covid-19 patients to recover: the increased risk of serious covid illness for people with diabetes: comments on the experimental drug remdesivir: and a lesson from South Korea on making workplaces safe for returning workers.   

Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond
Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

(Picture: A young woman wearing a protective face mask on the street. Photo credit: mladenbalinovac/Getty Images.)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Health Check

Should we wear face masks?

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service

About BBC World Service