Earlier this week Austria took a striking step in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak when its government announced that people would not be allowed to enter places such as supermarkets without wearing a face mask, to combat the pandemic.
“It’s clear that the wearing of masks will be a big change, but it is necessary to reduce the spread further,” declared Sebastian Kurz, the country’s chancellor, explaining that masks would be distributed for free at shop entrances.
Some might roll their eyes at this — including many scientists. There is disagreement over whether wearing low-quality masks prevents people from inhaling the virus, even if it does reduce the chances of them spreading it by sneezing or coughing.