One Year On: fake news about beards and masks re-appears
23rd March is the first anniversary of lockdown in the UK and rightly it is a day for remembering the too many who have died and reviewing what has happened, and what might and should have happened.
However pogonophobes, beard haters, never lose a chance to retail their prejudices. Hence claims about beards and masks have surfaced again:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/23/health/beards-affect-mask-fit-covid-19-wellness/index.html
A year ago the Beard Liberation Front made it clear that if medical quality masks needed to be worn in a medical setting and the beard was getting in the way, then the beard temporarily, needed to go.
There are clear exceptions for those who wear a beard for religious and health reasons where comprises may well be possible.
In general however the requirement is to wear a mask over the beard in enclosed spaces such as shops and transport.
The key points are firstly that the mask is worn (unless there is an exception as noted above)and that this covers both the mouth and the nose.
Various theorists have suggested that medical masks should be worn by all or that people should wear more than one mask. The BLF focus has remained on encouraging the hirsute to wear a mask and to do so properly.
How much this reduces the possibility of infection is debated but there are a few who doubt that it does.
Some myths debunked
1] Beards do not harbour bacteria or disease, any more than any other part of the body
2) Beards do not protect against COVID-19. Wear a mask (and get vaccinated when it’s your turn)
3] The CDC chart published again by CNN does not relate to COVID-19.
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