The sheer amount of Corona virus news at present plus the complicated rules surrounding the release of lock down make it hard to keep up. We have collected some of the important things that caught our eye in the last week.
First off, a subject that has particularly relevance for us: do face masks work?
The medical journal The Lancet has published a systematic review of a wide variety of published studies. The summary was clear:
Face mask use could result in a large reduction in risk of infection, with stronger associations with N95 or similar respirators compared with disposable surgical masks or similar (eg, reusable 12–16-layer cotton masks).
The Lancet https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext
A particular concern for us is the quality of mask: the Paxonomy reusable mask has a nano fibre membrane that goes beyond the capability of N95 respirators.
It also provides 2 way protection: breathing out but also protecting from other people around you – something a disposable surgical mask is not designed for.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has some excellent resources on coronavirus in general and face masks in particular.
Handling a reusable face mask requires a bit of care as this video explains:
You can find more at the WHO Advice for the Public page
Elsewhere lock down rules are being progressively relaxed eg the 1metre social distancing rule replacing 2 metres on 4 July. Everywhere is busier and it is hard to keep track so here is a summary of the rules:
Coronavirus lockdown: All you need to know about new measures
BBC NEWS
The government has published official guidance on returning to the workplace. This covers eight sectors with guidance for each. As more
In its latest guidelines the government has been making a distinction between face masks which are to be reserved for health care
To secure personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies – act now. PPE has a key role to play as governments, businesses and organisations
