Despite the regulations instated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the public must wear masks when in shops and walking in a restaurant, bar or pub (out of lockdown); it has been announced by the country’s top scientists that face masks do not help stop the spread of the virus.

Scientists warn that there is a ‘troubling lack of evidence’ that COVID-19 infection rates are prevented by wearing face masks.

It was concluded that masks were ‘better than wearing nothing’ despite the lack of evidence that they actually do anything. Is this a way for the government to show that they are ‘doing something’, despite it not actually doing anything to save lives?

A Danish study, performed by scientists at Copenhagen University, have found no statistical evidence that shows that the mask offers any protection whatsoever.

In response to these results, Oxford University’s Professor Carl Heneghan and Dr Tom Jefferson have said that there has been ‘a troubling lack of robust evidence on face masks and Covid-19’

There have only been three ‘real life’ studies comparing mask-wearers to non-mask-wearers — one in Guinea-Bissau, one in India and the new Denmark study. All have shown masks to have no benefit in preventing the disease.

Many members of the public, especially around Lytham St Annes’ local online social media users have criticised others for not wearing masks, angrily commenting on those wearing sunflower lanyards. It has been a hot topic of conversation, with many stating that they do not feel safe if someone in a shop is not wearing a mask.

However, when the virus first started to appear at the beginning of 2020, many locals criticised mask wearers for “scaremongering” and being “dramatic”, despite worrying case number rising.

Is wearing a mask effectively a placebo to make us feel safe enough to leave the house?