Health and Wellbeing; face coverings are effective
Children pick up on stress and they won’t be fooled for a second if their teacher is hiding their anxiety about being in close proximity with a group of learners. We firmly believe that face coverings have a role to play both in reducing virus transmission and building confidence.
Masking for a friend
While government advice suggests masks are not necessary in schools, wearing them does help reduce virus transmission (read this for the science) so it’s odd that they aren’t being considered. Trish Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, explains it like this:
“The main benefit [of wearing a face covering] is most of your germs will be caught in it, making you less of an infection risk to others. My mask protects you; yours protects me.”
When we asked Professor Greenhalgh on Twitter if she agreed with government suggestion that face coverings weren’t necessary in schools, she replied with a firm, ‘No, I don’t.”
Read the full article here…
Face coverings for the public: Laying straw men to rest
Trisha Greenhalgh MD | First published: 26 May 2020
Wearing face coverings is an act of altruism. As well as playing an effective role in reducing transmission they may also help teachers, children and parents feel more confident, so we believe face coverings should be permitted in schools. We’re not talking about scary surgical masks; you can make your own face covering from an old t-shirt or sock, make decorated masks or buy anti-viral snoods or funky scarves – it can be more like fancy dress than something medical. You could even make masks in school colours or with school logos, have it as part of the uniform to make wearing them acceptable.
"My mask protects you - yours protects me.”
