Senior doctors have expressed concern at ‘mixed’ government messaging about face masks, pleading the public to help prevent a second wave that will ‘devastate’ the NHS.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said a second peak of COVID-19 combined with seasonal flu could be ‘devastating for the NHS’ and have voiced criticism of government guidance on the use of face masks.
Previously, wearing face coverings has been compulsory on public transport and will be compulsory in shops in England from Friday.
They have warned that a hefty £100 fine will be issued to those who ignore this new law.
However, there has been significant confusion as to why masks aren’t compulsory in other situations where social distancing is difficult to maintain such as offices or pubs and restaurants.
Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Prof Carrie MacEwen, said that medics and healthcare workers felt ‘totally reliant on the public understanding that this has certainly not disappeared and could come back and cause even more suffering for the population’.
Dr Alison Pittard, head of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine also said: “People might think COVID is over with, why do I have to wear a face mask, but it isn’t over. We still have COVID patients in intensive care. If the public don’t physically distance and don’t wear face coverings we could very quickly get back to where we were earlier this year.”
Downing Street has announced that its scientific advice shows that new infections are falling at a rate of between one and five per cent a day across the UK.
On Sunday, the Scottish government confirmed new cases for the fifth consecutive day and reaching their highest daily rate since June 21st.
Meanwhile, Dominic Harrison, director of Public Health said that the national tracing system is only managing to reach half of those who had been in close contact with a coronavirus patient, reports the Guardian.
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said: “When you’re in close proximity with somebody that you have to work closely to, if you’re there for a long time with them, then a mask doesn’t offer that protection.”
Council chair of the BMA, the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK, Dr Chaand Nagpaul said “Everyone has their role to play, but there needs to be clear, concise public messaging,”
“To introduce measures for shops, but not other situations where physical distancing is not possible – including some workplaces – is illogical and adds to confusion and the risk of the virus spreading.”
The warning from medics comes after the government continues to ease national restrictions as the reproduction rate stands between 07 and 0.9, meaning the virus is not growing exponentially.
Last week, the Academy of Medical Sciences said a second wave could kill 120,000 people in a worst-case scenario, despite Boris Johnson saying a second national lockdown would not be necessary and that normality could return by Christmas.
As part of the new lockdown easing, Johnson has instructed that the ‘work from home where possible’ advise will be lifted, conflicting with the Chief Scientific Officer, Sir Patrick Vallance who told MPs he could see ‘absolutely no reason to change’.
When asked to clarify the position by reporters Johnson said: “We want to encourage people to think it is safe to come into work, provided employers have done the work … to make their premises COVID-secure.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has defended the track and trace system, which this weekend emerged was finding 37% of people with COVID-19 when this number needs to be 50% to be effective.
A spokesperson said.“It has already helped test and isolate more than 180,000 cases – helping us control the spread of the virus, prevent a second wave and save lives,”.
The government is set to allow local councils to access names and data of people in areas who have tested positive which may improve the performance of the system.
MacEwen explained that a second surge could be bigger than the last, could ‘economically cripple us’ and ‘damage the NHS in the long-term’.
She said: “Going into winter the situation is much bleaker [than handling a pandemic in spring] and against a background of economic disaster. The public has begun to think we are free of this, but we are not.”
She added: “The most important thing about being prepared for this winter is the population gets the flu vaccine if they need it and they behave in a way that reduces the risk of them catching COVID which is to socially distance, wash hands, wear masks and isolate if symptomatic or told to do so by test and trace.”
Pittard added that the public is vital in this and that “it is down to the public again”.
