People experiencing flu or cold symptoms should wear a mask in public places as the UK grapples with a “tidal wave” of illness, an NHS leader has said.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said the country was facing a “very nasty strain of flu” that had occurred earlier in the year than normal, and face coverings should be worn on public transport, as during the Covid pandemic.
He told Times Radio: “When you were talking about anything like Covid, I think we need to get back into the habit that if you are coughing and sneezing, but you’re not unwell enough to not go to work, then you must wear a mask when you’re in public spaces, including on public transport, to stop the chances of you giving your virus to somebody else.
“And we were all very good about infection control during Covid. And we really, really need to get back to that now.”
Asked if he meant people who had “got a cold, they’re snuffling, they are coughing” should wear a mask in the office, Elkeles added: “I think that would be very sensible to all their colleagues, or probably their colleagues would say: ‘Please go home.’
“But we have really got to worry about the fact that this is a very nasty strain of flu. It spreads very easily. It’s warm and wet out there and people need to be sensible.”
Downing Street said wearing a mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illness was “something people can consider”.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “There is longstanding guidance in place for people on a range of measures they can consider taking to help limit the spread of winter bugs if they have flu-like symptoms.
“This is neither new nor an instruction but simply something people can consider when trying to limit the spread of winter respiratory illnesses.
“The best defence against flu is the vaccine, which is why we’re ramping up our vaccination efforts this winter with almost 17m flu jabs already delivered, which is 350,000 more than this time last year.”
The UK Health Security Agency wrote in a blog last week that “masks continue to be a useful tool in limiting the spread of respiratory viruses in some situations”.
However, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, rejected the idea, adding she was “still slightly traumatised by all the mask-wearing that we had to do during Covid”.
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She told Sky News: “I personally think that face coverings can be a barrier to social interaction, social cohesion and I do worry about a mask mandate.
“I don’t think the government should be mandating anything. Let’s have some common sense. I think people can make up their own minds.
“If you are really sick, it should be in bed. It should not be on public transport. I think that’s more of a problem. But the truth is, many people are contagious before they realise that they’re even ill. So I’m not sure that it would work.”
The number of people in hospital with flu in England is at a record level for this time of year. An average of 1,717 flu patients were in beds in England each day, including 69 in critical care, the most recent data showed.
