Health experts criticise NHS chief’s remarks that people with flu symptoms ‘must wear face masks’ | Flu

An NHS leader who said people with flu symptoms “must wear” a face mask in public risks causing “confusion” among the public over official guidance on how to tackle the virus, health experts have warned.

The number of people hospitalized with flu in England has reached a record high for this time of year. At least six UK hospitals have asked their patients to stay away due to a surge in flu cases which has swept the country this week.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said on Tuesday that “if you are coughing and sneezing, but you are not ill enough to not go to work, you should wear a mask when you are in public spaces, including on public transport.” His comments received widespread media coverage.

But health experts told the Guardian its advice could undermine public confidence in official guidance from government bodies such as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which says people should “consider” wearing a mask in such circumstances.

“One thing we have learned from Covid is how important it is that messages from health authorities and governments are clear and aligned,” said Simon Williams, a behavioral scientist and public health researcher at Swansea University.

“When people receive mixed, unclear or conflicting messages about health advice, such as when to wear masks, it can be confusing and undermine the messages.”

Williams added that it could also cause “alert fatigue,” where the public “ends up being confused or disconnected from health advisories.” Another risk is that the difference in language could be used by those spreading disinformation online “to make false claims.”

Ultimately, wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces was “a good idea” when flu cases were high and increasing — “especially if you have flu symptoms yourself,” Williams said. But the details of health advice from authorities still matter, he added.

“There’s a big difference between saying people ‘must’ wear masks and [that] they are “recommended” to wear them.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, expressed similar concerns. “In public health…one of the biggest problems with miscommunication occurs when experts disagree. So if people argue about different things, it undermines the message, whatever it is.”

He added: “If people who purportedly represent the consensus view, or are perceived by others to be part of that official view, then giving advice that is in conflict actually undermines the advice, period.

“It always causes confusion. It’s not just me saying this – there’s been research that supports this for decades.”

Hunter said mixed messages about masks also risk creating confusion about vaccines.

“This not only undermines the advice [on flu and masks] but more general advice. You know… “If experts can’t agree on whether or not to wear masks, what about their advice on vaccines?” »

NHS Providers is a professional body which represents the 204 health trusts in England and speaks for the senior managers who manage them, but is not part of the health service itself.

Last week, Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said if someone had flu-like symptoms and had to go out while ill, they could “consider wearing a face mask”.

Asked about Elkeles’ remarks yesterday, No 10 said there were different measures people “can consider taking to help limit the spread of winter insects if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms”. This was “neither news nor instruction, but simply something people can consider when trying to limit the spread of winter respiratory illnesses.”

When asked whether they agreed with Elkeles’ view that people with flu symptoms “should wear” a face mask, other NHS and health organizations distanced themselves.

Rory Deighton, director of acute care at the NHS Confederation, which also represents trusts and with which NHS Providers will merge next year, highlighted the UKHSA’s advice, saying: “There are a range of sensible steps people can take to help reduce the spread of flu, including getting vaccinated if they are eligible and either staying at home if they are unwell or wearing a mask if they have to go out.

Professor Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, did not give his opinion on masks and instead urged people, including NHS staff, to get the flu vaccine.

More and more hospitals are asking staff, patients and visitors to wear masks in at least some departments to combat the flu.

“Some hospitals have introduced mask wearing in certain departments, such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, oncology and kidney dialysis departments, where the risk is higher,” Deighton said. “As flu rates continue to rise, we expect this to continue.”