Mask crusader
Who first wore a medical face mask?
— The beaked outfits worn by plague doctors aside, the first doctor to wear a mask was the French abdominal surgeon Paul Berger in 1897. His mask, made from six layers of gauze, was inspired by the work of German microbiologist Carl Flugge, who had revealed what a good breeding ground saliva is for bacteria. Berger delivered a paper on masks to the Surgical Society of Paris in 1899, after which they were adopted in other countries.
Penalty points
How many penalties are scored in the European Football Championship and World Cup?
— The overall scoring rate is 75%. In shootouts to decide the outcome of drawn matches, the first player to take a penalty has scored 80% of the time.
— The most popular place for a right-footed player to aim a penalty is into the bottom left-hand corner. The least popular place is above the goalkeeper’s left shoulder.
— The highest success rate (nearly 100%) is for penalties aimed down the middle.
— Only 10% of penalties are aimed down the middle. The goalkeeper chooses to stay in the middle even less, just 3% of the time.
Source: thestatszone.com
Ballpark figures
Where are you likely to see a ball struck fastest: at Wimbledon, Wembley or Lord’s? Record speeds measured for balls (or their equivalents) travelling in mph:
Badminton 308
Golf 211
Squash 176
Tennis 164
Football 132
Hockey 115
Cricket 101
Arm’s length
According to the ONS, 96 per cent of people interviewed between 26 May and 20 June said they would take a Covid vaccine when offered. Of the 4 per cent who said they wouldn’t, these were reported reasons (people could give more than one reason):
Worried about side effects 55%
I want to wait and see 34%
Not afraid of Covid-19 23%
Worried it will stop me having a baby 18%
Worried about health condition 14%
Scared of needles 11%
I’m pregnant 10%
Against vaccines in general 9%
Don’t need it as I’ve had virus 7%
Worried vaccine will give me virus 4%
Worried it will be painful 3%
Unable to get to vaccine centre 1%
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