Covid-19: Face masks protect the vulnerable

Shoppers wearing face masks queue up to enter a supermarket. A study found that the risk of preventing a respiratory illness by wearing a face mask in public areas was too small to recommend wearing face masks for the general population, but may help vulnerable people. — SAM THAM/The Star

Wearing a face mask while out and about on public transport, in shops and in crowded places, could help protect vulnerable people from Covid-19, according to a new systematic review from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom.

However, the researchers say the evidence is not strong enough to recommend widespread use of masks in the general population.