face masks
My thoughts on Helen Mirren’s casting
On Monday, I had a whinge-walk with Lizzie, my friend of 47 years. We met at breathing classes for our…
The tyranny of Boris Johnson’s mask mandate
Today the government has said that for the next three weeks it will be mandatory to wear masks in shops…
The Covid pantomime at my father’s memorial
This last weekend I attended the memorial service for my father, who died in July. This isn’t a bid for…
Should trains have mask and non-mask carriages?
In deciding whether or not to wear a mask after 19 July, I am sure Boris Johnson is right that…
Who was the first to wear a face mask?
Mask crusader Who first wore a medical face mask? — The beaked outfits worn by plague doctors aside, the first…
The economic case for ditching mask mandates
After many months of hardship and sacrifice, freedom is finally within grasp. Boris Johnson has reclaimed his buccaneering, libertarian spirit…
The luxury of being pro-lockdown
I’ve just written an essay for the People’s Lockdown Inquiry, a new collaboration between Buckingham University, the Institute of Ideas…
The polarising power of plague
Now that the government has kindly allowed us to go out again, I wonder if anyone has discovered the same…
The strange theatre of mask-wearing
However surreal and dystopian the pandemic landscape seemed at first, no enduring vista feels ‘surreal’ and ‘dystopian’ indefinitely. Citizenries uniformly…
The Trump nightmare isn’t over
What would happen to the Republicans after Donald Trump? That has been one of the pundits’ favourite themes in the…
Face masks in schools: a note on the evidence
Secondary-school children returning to school from 8 March will be required to wear masks in classrooms, at least for several…
My cure for the common cold
You really don’t want to know about my coughs and sneezes, particularly during the festive season, but bear with me…
Is zero Covid achievable? A scientific debate about the virus
A scientific debate about the virus
Criminal gangs are making billions from fake medical supplies during COVID
While it’s great news that Pfizer, BioNTech, AstraZeneca and other pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines to prevent people from getting…
Landmark Danish study shows face masks have no significant effect
Do face masks work? Earlier this year, the UK government decided that masks could play a significant role in stopping…
The transatlantic mask divide
Should we wear our masks? The question has been on my mind as I have been battered that way and…
Dear Mary: How can my celebrity husband still be recognised in a face mask?
Q. I am running out of suitable responses to a friend who now has the slightest possible connection to one…
Will the next U-turn be on face masks at work?
There’s a new trend emerging when it comes to Covid-19 policy: where Scotland leads, England follows. In recent weeks, decisions…
The danger of following ‘the science’
I have decided to divorce my wife after 31 years on scientific grounds. Though perfectly happy, on reassessing my original…
Dear Mary: What can I do about fellow passengers who won’t wear face masks?
Q. On my way to Devon recently I stopped for lunch with an impeccably mannered friend. He produced first crab…
Letters: Will office workers ever want to return?
The future of offices Sir: I agree with much of Gerard Lyons’s article about the future of the capital (‘London…
Letters: How to slim down the nation
Peer review Sir: A neat solution to the levels of inactivity of some members of the House of Lords (‘Peer…
Letters: What cycle helmets can tell us about face masks
Masking the truth Sir: Matthew Parris is right to laud the importance of embracing the scientific method (‘Why should opinion…
Why should I have to wear a face mask to give blood?
Why should I have to wear a mask to give blood?
In an age of science, why are face masks a matter of opinion?
In 1846 Vienna, as across much of the world, a relatively new disease called puerperal (or ‘childbed’) fever had reached…
