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Should you wear a face mask?

Tim Harford examines whether covering your mouth and nose with cloth offers protection against Covid-19.

Do face masks stop you getting coronavirus? You might instinctively think that covering your mouth and nose with cloth must offer protection from Covid-19. And some health authorities around the world say people should make their own masks. But expert opinion is divided. Tim Harford and Ruth Alexander unpick the arguments.

(A woman wears a homemade face mask in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Photo credit:Francisco Macías/Getty Images)

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9 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 Apr 2020 15:50GMT
BBC World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

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Broadcasts

  • Sat 11 Apr 2020 17:50GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia & South Asia only
  • Sun 12 Apr 2020 05:50GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Mon 13 Apr 2020 08:50GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Mon 13 Apr 2020 12:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Mon 13 Apr 2020 14:50GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia
  • Mon 13 Apr 2020 15:50GMT
    BBC World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

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