Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why the world is still arguing over face masks, 20 months into the pandemic

Why the world is still arguing over face masks, 20 months into the pandemic

At the start of the pandemic, much of the Western world followed a similar playbook for tackling Covid-19.

Spikes in transmission were met with lockdowns; international travel was heavily restricted; and though domestic constraints frequently proved controversial, hygiene measures like social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing were strongly encouraged -- if not legally mandated.

But those days are behind us. Pandemic management now differs widely from country to country -- with the face mask just one example of the world's increasingly fractured approach to Covid-19.

The science behind masks is fairly clear, and has only become more robust over the course of the pandemic. Studies have shown that masks significantly decrease the chances of transmitting coronavirus, and some types of masks can help prevent their wearers from catching the virus.

Yet debates still rage in multiple countries over their use, and some regions have recently removed mandates that people wear them in crowded spaces.

"Masks remain a symbol of a divided society -- between those who feel we have restricted too much and those who feel we have not intervened enough during the pandemic," Simon Williams, a senior lecturer on Covid-19 behaviors at Swansea University in Wales, told CNN.

With the prospect of another winter pandemic brewing, some countries are grappling with calls to return to mask use. But they face resistance from people fatigued by endless mixed messaging -- and many experts fear that in countries where rules have been relaxed, reimposing mandates could be complicated.

Different approaches


The first days of the pandemic saw early hesitance over the use of face masks from governments and the World Health Organization (WHO), amid fears that a rush for masks would leave frontline workers without enough protective equipment. But that as the world learned more about Covid-19, their use became commonplace by the middle of 2020.

"Masks help to filter out aerosol that is generated in our respiratory tract when we breathe or speak. (They) are most effective at filtering out larger aerosol particles and less effective at filtering out the smallest ones," said Bryan Bzdek, research fellow at the University of Bristol's Aerosol Research Centre, summarizing the scientific mechanism behind mask use.

"This is conceptually similar to driving a car when there are a lot of insects about -- the large ones tend to impact against the windshield whereas the small ones follow the air flow around the car," he said.


Outside parts of south-east Asia, where mask-wearing had become common after the SARS outbreak in 2002, few countries were used to covering their faces in public. But the unique shock of the Covid-19 outbreak meant behaviors quickly changed, experts say.

"Behavioral scientists and policymakers were quite surprised at how quickly people adopted masks once they were required," WIlliams said.

"The biggest development in mask perceptions over the pandemic has been an acceptance generally that they protect others as much, if not more, than the wearer," he added.

"The exact benefits in terms of cases prevented and lives saved are still being studied -- but even marginal gains are worthwhile when masks are relatively low-cost interventions, in that they are much easier for us than things like distancing or isolating."

But now, despite the body of scientific research into face masks only expanding, countries are heading in various directions.

In the US, President Joe Biden has made masks a key pillar of his Covid-19 response. His administration has followed guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on mask recommendations, imposing them on federal property and encouraging schools to use them.

But he's faced obstacles from several states. Most recently, Biden's Department of Education has become embroiled in a battle with Florida's Education Department after it decided to reduce funding for certain school districts for requiring people wear masks.

People wear masks on Broadway in New York City last month.


In Europe, mask mandates have become the norm even as several countries saw their Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations come under control, with stricter rules for unvaccinated people attending indoor spaces like restaurants and bars.

Spain, for instance, requires masks indoors when social distancing is not possible. France recently lifted its requirement to wear a mask outdoors, but the rule remains in place for enclosed spaces. And Italians are still required to cover their faces inside or on public transport (the outdoor mask mandate has now been lifted).

However, England, in spite of a stubborn surge in cases since the summer, no longer requires people to cover their faces anywhere -- with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving it up to "personal choice."

The psychology behind masks


Experts say that whether most people will wear masks depends largely on the rules that are in place.

"The single biggest influence across all reason of face mask wearing appears to be the law," said Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Warwick. He cited data from Imperial College London's Covid Behaviour Tracker, the largest rolling study of the societal impact of Covid-19 in the world.

A metro train in Italy, where mask wearing is required in most indoor spaces.


"(Mandating) a behavior helps send out the signal that it is important," Williams added. "Mask wearing is a behavior that is really influenced by social norms -- or peer pressure -- and so in a setting where masks are no longer mandated, this might influence others not to wear theirs."

"This is well illustrated by the inflection point in the UK when compulsory mask wearing was announced," Vlaev said, noting a quick pick-up in mask use last year, and an equally sudden drop since July when the rule was removed. According to the Office for National Statistics, nearly one in five Brits no longer say they wear a face covering outside their home, compared to just 4% in mid-June when they were still mandated.

But when the public takes their cues from the law, unclear messaging can be costly.

Williams said he was initially "surprised" by how quickly people stopped wearing masks in the UK in recent months. "It is really down to the mixed messages that many people feel government have been passing on," he added.

"Many countries in Europe have had a more consistent policy on masks and so this makes it become more of a habit over time."

Britain's lawmakers wore masks in the House of Commons last week, after the health secretary encouraged them to 'play their part' in curbing Covid-19 transmission. Few MPs were spotted in face coverings before last week.


Britain's government now faces a test as it attempts to encourage mask-wearing again, without the backing of a law, as cases rise in the run-up to winter.

The UK's health secretary, Sajid Javid, recently urged people to wear masks in certain situations to avoid future restrictions. But he was forced to admit it was "fair" of the public to wonder why they are now being encouraged to do so, when lawmakers had hours earlier appeared in the House of Commons without face coverings.

Experts doubt whether such guidance will carry as much weight as it did during previous stages of the pandemic.

"As the number of mask wearers falls off, the ability of authorities to enforce mask mandates falls away," said Robert Dingwall, a professor of social sciences at Nottingham Trent University.

It's that thinking that has led most EU countries to impose longer, and occasionally stricter, mask measures.

"People will have learned a new behavior -- wearing masks -- before 'unlearning it', and then having to re-learn it," Williams said. "This could prove challenging -- many people may have gotten used to life without masks."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Street justice isn’t pretty but how else do you deal with this kind of insanity? Sometimes someone needs to standup and say something
Armenia and Azerbaijan sign U.S.-brokered accord at White House outlining transit link via southern Armenia
Barcelona Resolves Captaincy Issue with Marc-André ter Stegen
US Justice Department Seeks Release of Epstein and Maxwell Grand Jury Exhibits Amid Legal and Victim Challenges
Spain Scraps F-35 Jet Deal as Trump Pushes for More NATO Spending
France Faces Largest Wildfire Since 1949 as Blazes Rage Across Aude
French Senate Report Alleges State Cover‑Up in Perrier ‘Natural Mineral Water’ Scandal
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
×