IN his anti-mask article, William Hagerup is missing the basic point of public health (“Is enforcing face masks masking the real issue?”).

He’s absolutely right to point out that, at any one time, only a few people in Colchester are infectious with coronavirus.

The problem is that it is impossible to know who they are, especially as (unfortunately) many of the people who are currently infectious don’t have any symptoms.

So the only thing to do is for everyone to mask up.

Then we’re sure that the few infectious people who are out and about are wearing masks - even if we (and they) still don’t know precisely who they are!

It’s a similar argument with seat-belts in cars.

Most people who go on a car journey thankfully won’t have an accident - but we can’t predict who the unfortunate few are going to be.

So we all wear belts and lives are saved (even though we still don’t know whose life!).

When the preventative measure is potentially damaging to the individual, the ethics of such a policy can be difficult.

For example if a preventative drug causes some bad side effects in some people, it might not be a very attractive proposition for the public in general to take the pills, because they might make themselves ill, yet they were never the one who the drug was going to save.

But in the case of masks (or seat belts) there is no possible harm to people who participate, so there is absolutely no sensible argument not to take part.

Masks are a bit uncomfortable in warm weather and they don’t look very nice.

But those are hardly reasons to risk the lives of shop workers and others who have to interact with hundreds of people a day.

With his flippant comment about “lucky heather” Mr Hagerup is actually making an interesting point.

There is indeed a “symbolic” value in wearing masks because, even ignoring their potential to stop droplets flying about, they serve to constantly remind us all that there is a dangerous pandemic going on.

They also say to the world in general: “I am trying to protect you...will you try and protect me?”

Charlie Davison

Priory Street, Colchester

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Put on a mask to cut down the risk

WELL William Hagerup, thanks for all your help, the Government has to act to protect people’s health, not their liberty.

We are not Americans and we don’t have poor advice like this bandied about encouraging the population to ignore good advice.

Now, I am 71 years old and been locked down since March 20, to the exclusion of even seeing my elderly mother.

He states that I would have to meet 2,300 people before I met one with the virus, you could probably apply the same statistic to being run over, but I wouldn’t step into the road to test that!

The introduction of masks in shops has opened the door for me to do my own shopping in relative safety, rather than relying on my fantastic family and the aforementioned internet.

So come on, stop jumping on the Boris banger bus and put a mask on whether for a five minute pop in or a supermarket shop, because maybe, just maybe, the first person I meet may just be no. 2,301.

Colin Halls

Sutton Park Avenue, Colchester