Londoners may be told to wear higher-grade masks on Tube and bus over Covid variant fears

Current guidance might lag behind latest science

Passengers on public transport in London may be advised to switch to higher-grade face masks to combat new variants of the coronavirus, according to reports.

High-filtration masks, which are already advised in several countries, are being considered by the capital's transport officials as cloth masks and makeshift face coverings may be less effective against the more infectious variants of the virus spreading around the UK.

Two reviews of mask advice have been launched by Transport for London and the Mayor's office to establish whether current guidance lags behind the latest science, the Evening Standardrevealed.

Mayor Sadiq Khan will commission an analysis of the latest evidence by London's scientific advisory group on Covid-19 to consider whether the public should be asked to switch from cloth to filter masks. Transport for London has asked Public Health England for guidance on the situation.

While cloth masks and face coverings are effective at reducing the spread of particles from coughs and sneezes, they do not filter out the virus.

The higher-grade filter masks only allow very fine particles to pass through and are supposed to catch sneezes and coughs without leaking.

High filtration masks come in different specifications, up to the most effective N95 style, which is supposed to filter out 95 per cent of particles. Such masks are disposable and can be more expensive.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor is determined that Londoners are given the most accurate and up-to-date scientific advice in our fight against the virus.

“Germany, France and Austria have all recently introduced stricter requirements for face coverings, and it may be necessary to introduce tougher measures here to stop the spread of the new variant, particularly in poorly ventilated locations.

N95 masks are among the high-grade coverings accepted in Germany (POOL/AFP via Getty)

“TfL have asked Public Health England for their advice on face covering specifications for use on the transport system, and the Mayor will ask London’s Covid-19 Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell to analyse the latest evidence if required.”

The World Health Organisation currently advises higher-grade masks for people aged over 60 and those with underlying health conditions.

Last month, Austria made FFP2 masks, considered by PHE as equivalent to N95, mandatory in shops and on public transport. Germany introduced similar requirements while France updated rules to only allow the highest quality cloth masks along with the filter masks.