Covid-19: Face masks alone not enough to protect against coughing, research finds

Social distancing is still required for those with persistent coughs as face masks are not enough in themselves to protect other people, new research has found.

Masks are more efficient than no mask at all, but droplets from people with coughs can travel up to one metre even with a mask, according to researchers at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus.

The debate over face masks has intensified in recent weeks with the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommending that people wear them in public, though the Government is not planning to make them compulsory on public transport like others countries have done.