British Attitude to Face Masks Risking Second Wave of COVID-19

New survey reveals Brits reluctant to wear protective masks as UK transport secretary makes them mandatory on all British transport from 15 June.

*** John Gordon, founder of Cradle Masks and inventor, an engineer and a product developer who has spent much of his career in China, manufacturing specialist survival clothing, is available for interview/broadcast media ***

New British brand, Cradle, aims to normalise and encourage use of masks in public with launch of anti-virus face masks that raise money for the NHS

New British brand Cradle has launched a range of protective anti-virus face masks, as Grant Shapps announces that face coverings will soon have to be worn by everyone on public transport.

The new government directive comes on the back of a worrying report that shows that, of six countries surveyed, Brits are the most reluctant to wear a face mask to protect themselves against the virus, are the least aware of the protection masks can offer, and are only half as likely as those in other countries to wear one. The study demonstrates how lack of awareness about using face masks is putting the UK, already carrying the highest death toll in Europe, at greater risk of non-compliance and of experiencing a second wave.

More than 50 countries, including Germany and France, have made wearing face masks mandatory in public. Our European neighbours have all learned the lessons from Asian countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong, where masks are commonly worn and infection rates have remained low. To date, Hong Kong, where 98% of its residents wear masks, has recorded only four COVID-19 related deaths in a densely packed population of 7.4 million.

The brand welcomes the government’s move, but Cradle is campaigning to normalise and encourage the wearing of masks everywhere in enclosed public spaces as a vital protective measure against a second wave during this crucial easing of lockdown. To help encourage this change in attitude, Cradle has committed to giving a donation for every mask to the NHS: 50p for every KN95 mask will be donated to the NHS Charities Together fund to help support those caring for people with the disease.

Dr Iain Ashworth, one of Cradle’s medical consultants explains:

“Scientists are still arguing about how fast we should be coming out of lockdown with many saying it is too soon. I believe that face masks should be mandatory everywhere right now to help prevent the dreaded second wave.

We know that wearing a face mask feels alien to most people in the UK - but this is no time to worry about looking a bit silly. If you want to get out of the house and start reliving your life then you need to be wearing a face mask.

Along with washing your hands regularly, wearing a mask is your most important protection against this virus - they protect you and they protect the people around you if you are unknowingly carrying the virus but not showing symptoms. It’s no coincidence that the countries with the lowest COVID-19 infection rates are also the ones where people have been wearing masks.”

Cradle Masks

Protective face masks can be a confusing area for the general public with various standards and certifications. Cradle aims to simplify the market by assembling a selection of the best quality, high-performance anti-viral face masks at a range of price points. All offer significantly higher protection than cloth or homemade versions.

Cradle believes that the NHS needs more than a weekly round of applause, and is donating 50p for every KN95 mask sold to support the NHS Charities Together.

Cradle’s top of the range KN95 respirator mask (sold in packs of five) offers the best protection available to the public. Its four layers of micro-filtering and a super fine biodegradable mesh textile filter out in excess of 95% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, including airborne virus-laden moisture, saliva and bacteria.

There are two other surgical style masks in the range, one of which is certified for clinical use, and a child’s size mask.

The team behind the Cradle masks is expert in fabric technology and manufacturing and reinvests profits in to R&D to improve products and performance. The company continually monitors the market to ensure it offers the best value, comfort and practicality.

Cradle masks are all fully certified and compliant with the relevant international regulations and standards.

www.cradlemasks.com



Notes to Editors:

Why are masks not compulsory everywhere in the UK?

Despite carrying the highest death rate in Europe, masks are not yet compulsory in public in the UK. The government has only ‘advised’ people to ‘consider’ wearing ‘face coverings’ in enclosed public spaces where social distancing is not possible or where people are more likely to come into contact with others they don’t normally meet.

It seems its reticence comes from:

a lack of controlled data - despite there being few supporting studies for hand-washing, and none at all for the two-metre rule or lockdowns

claims that mask-wearing induces a sense of security that will lead to other risky behaviours, such as ignoring social distancing - but it’s worth remembering that when seatbelts became law some worried it would encourage dangerous driving

wariness of taking away vital equipment from the NHS - which is perhaps why it is advising cloth masks or ‘face coverings’ only. This is a supply issue and not performance-based.


Are masks effective in slowing the spread?

Yes. Natural experiments are showing a correlation between mask-wearing and a lower infection rate. The German city Jena introduced mandatory mask-wearing on 31 March and subsequently saw no new infections, while the cities around it continued to see rising numbers. Hong Kong has only had four COVID-19 related deaths.

The World Health Organisation is misguided in its directive that masks are only effective when worn by those who are symptomatic. Research is showing that this Coronavirus is most infectious just before or at the time symptoms first appear, which is often in such a mild form that people are not aware they are even ill - in fact, in systematic tests, about half the total number of those who test positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic . Evidence suggests that around 40% of cases of transmission come from people without symptoms. The virus is spread not only through coughs and sneezes, but also through normal speech and breathing, all of which can be blocked with a mask.

We should all be wearing masks whenever we are out among other people, whether we feel ill or not.


Cradle’s Range

KN95/FFP2 “Respirator mask’ - £4.50 per mask (sold in packs of 5)
Top of the range, super fine bio-degradable mesh textile featuring over-the-nose contouring strip for best fit and full seal around the face for maximum protection.

FFP2 Clinical mask - £1.20 per mask (sold in packs of 10)
Three layers of fine filtering material to minimize cross contamination. Certified for clinical use.

FFP2 ‘Streetmask’ - £1 per mask (sold in packs of 10)
As above, but for public use, also available in child’s size.


What do the numbers mean?

Cradle offers only the highest quality masks which are designed and manufactured to precise CE standards and certified to meet European regulatory standard EN149: 2001 FFP2 D

FFP stands for Filtering Face Piece

FFP2 is the level recommended by the World Health Organisation for health workers

KN95 is the Chinese quality standard for respiratory face masks, offering equivalent protection to the N95 (US standard) and FFP2 (EU standard)

Why 95? Because the Cradle KN95 filters out in excess of 95% of particles as small as 0.3 microns for maximum protection against air-borne pathogens



For more information:

Georgina Cook, 07941 251100

george@cradlemasks.com

www.cradlemasks.com

https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/