Not Wearing Face Masks in Public Should Be Considered Antisocial, Says Science Body President

Everyone should not leave their home without a face covering in their possession, the President of the U.K. Royal Society said on Tuesday.

President of the fellowship of scientists Venki Ramakrishnan said a new review of evidence reinforces the benefits of face masks for people around them and suggests usage may protect the wearer as well.

Uptake of face coverings in the U.K. has been low relative to numerous other countries where there are mandated policies but not necessarily a culture of face mask wearing, he said.

“In late April uptake in the UK was around 25%, compared to 83.4% in Italy, 65.8% in the United States and 63.8% in Spain. All countries, that like the UK, do not have an established culture of face mask wearing, but did have clearly mandated policies,” a press release stated citing the Society’s SET-C report.

“Wearing a mask did not bother our Italian, French or Spanish neighbors, none of whom were used to wearing one before the pandemic yet now do so routinely. So just treat it as another item of clothing that is part of the new normal and wear it whenever you cannot socially distance safely. It the right thing to do, and a small price to pay, to help keep infections down and the economy open in the pandemic,” he said.

“It used to be quite normal to have quite a few drinks and drive home, and it also used to be normal to drive without seatbelts. Today both of those would be considered antisocial, and not wearing face coverings in public should be regarded in the same way. If all of us wear one, we protect each other and thereby ourselves, reducing transmission. We lower the chances of future surges and lockdowns which are economically and psychologically disruptive, and we increase the chance of eliminating the virus. Not doing so increases the risk for everyone, from NHS workers to your grandmother," he said.

U.K. authorities recommend wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not possible. The usage of face coverings on public transport became mandatory on June 15.

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