Did early focus on hand washing and not masks aid spread of Covid-19?
From the moment coronavirus reached UK shores, public health advice stressed the importance of washing hands and deep-cleaning surfaces to reduce the risk of becoming infected. The advice was informed by mountains of research into the transmission of other respiratory viruses: it was the best scientists could do with such a new pathogen. But as the pandemic spread and data rolled in, some scientists began to question whether the focus on hand hygiene was as crucial as it seemed. Contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs and light switches – “fomites”, to use the scientific terminology – may not be such a big deal, they claimed.
The Guardian - October 5, 2020View the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/05/did-early-focus-on-hand-washing-and-not-masks-aid-spread-of-covid-19-coronavirus