Coronavirus: Repeated coughing ‘degrades mask efficiency’

Coughing may degrade a mask’s ability to prevent the coronavirus from being passed on, research suggests.

People in England must wear face coverings on public transport. More comfortable than masks, they are intended to act as a barrier against infectious droplets.

Hospital staff, however, are required to wear a medical-grade mask. This extra protection is also recommended for the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions, and coronavirus patients and their carers.

Despite these guidelines, scientists from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus felt there was little evidence proving masks’ effectiveness.

After running a series of computer models, they found coughing breaks down the filter that “contains” the coronavirus.

A cough is one of the tell-tale symptoms of the infection, along with fever and a loss of taste or smell.