The COVID-19 inquiry has heard that there is weak evidence that high-grade face masks provided better protection to health workers than surgical masks in the pandemic. Despite concerns raised by groups representing doctors and nurses, national guidance throughout the first two years of the pandemic recommended healthcare workers wear basic surgical masks as opposed to more protective respirator masks, such as FFP3s, except in intensive care or a small number of medical situations.
Prof Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), informed the inquiry that FFP3 respirator masks have the potential to cause significant harms such as blisters and breathing difficulties. Hopkins also suggested that in real-life situations, respirator masks may not have performed better than thin surgical masks. She stated that if there was strong evidence that FFP3s provided better protection, they would have been recommended.
While there is debate on whether higher-grade masks provide a significant real-world benefit, the BBC has previously reported on studies that appear to show improved protection in hospital wards. The inquiry was shown minutes from an IP Cell meeting, which included representatives from the NHS, government departments, and health bodies such as Public Health England (PHE). The records quoted Dr Colin Brown, who noted the need for a precautionary approach to move towards FFP3 masks in all healthcare settings while awaiting evidence. However, the IP Cell decided that no upgrading of the guidance was warranted at the time, and NHS trusts were told to continue providing staff with standard surgical masks.
It was not until January 2022 that the guidance was updated, stating that FFP3 respirators should be worn by all staff when caring for patients with a virus such as COVID-19 and offered to other staff depending on the outcome of a risk assessment. By that time, the World Health Organization and other health bodies had acknowledged the possibility of transmission in tiny airborne particles. Hopkins confirmed that FFP3 masks offered a high degree of protection in laboratory studies but suggested that their real-world impact was weak.
The COVID-19 inquiry continues to take evidence about the impact on healthcare systems across all four nations of the UK. Over 50 witnesses, including Prof Hopkins, will appear in this third section, also referred to as the “module,” until the end of November
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