Do masks protect against Swine flu?

Missed out on Matthew Williamson for H&M? Never mind. It's over anyway. Hot from Mexico - and now in every other town worldwide - surgical masks are this week's latest fashion accessory. At least, that's the verdict from politicians and most of the medical establishment, who think they're about as much use in avoiding swine flu as wearing a pair of statement earrings."The scientific evidence does not support the general wearing of face masks by those who are not ill while going about their daily business," says Alan Johnson, secretary of state for health.Dr John McConnell, editor of the Lancet Infectious Diseases, agrees. "Masks are probably more useful for people with symptoms to prevent them spreading infection," he says. "In any case, masks need to be changed daily to be effective."One dissenting voice is Andrew Easton, professor of virology at the University of Warwick, who argues that the correct mask...

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