It has been established that a person infected with the coronavirus may have no symptoms but can be infectious to others. It is also known that the spread of the virus is enhanced by close personal interaction.

Wearing a face mask is not foolproof in preventing the spread of the virus, but it is considered effective to some extent against a two-way spread. We could take some pointers from the outcome in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Hence, in addition to social distancing, people should be advised to wear masks when they are in a group or a crowd, especially because masks are now more readily available.

On buses and in MRT trains, the 1m distancing is not always possible. In supermarkets and malls, proper social distancing is possible only in the queue for payment.

In terms of the community spread of the disease, comprehensive contact tracing is not possible.

The Government should now advise people to wear masks in any public place, especially when it is crowded.

Ong Siew Chey (Dr)