Dr. Alexandra Bernhardi

Guest Columnist

So what benefit does wearing a face mask in public have?

There is little doubt that face coverings - together with social distancing and good hand hygiene - are helpful in containing droplets when people cough and sneeze. It reduces the likelihood of spreading the COVID-19 virus as many international studies have shown.

Wearing masks in public is not a novelty - anybody in Japan with a slight common cold uses a mask out of respect for other people. Most Japanese people would not even blow their nose in public. Wearing a mask if you are sick (or if you could be sick) helps not only to fight the spread of COVID-19, but it will also help to reduce spreading of other viruses such as the influenza or the common cold.

The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System NNDSS has recorded a record low of confirmed influenza cases between March and July - it would be safe to assume that our increased social distancing behaviour and improved hygiene contributes to this positive trend.