Perspex screens appear to have joined the long list of measures introduced to mitigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 which actually make matters worse. Alex Wickham of Politico has got hold of a leaked planning document describing what Stage 4 of the roadmap will look like and what social distancing measures will remain in place throughout the winter and possibly beyond. He reports that the Government has been urged to ban the use of these screens in pubs, restaurants and offices.

Not only do Perspex screens not stop the spread of the virus, they may actually increase transmission! More from Alex here:

Problems include them not being positioned correctly, with the possibility that they actually increase the risk of transmission by blocking airflow. Therefore there is clear guidance to ministers that these perspex screens should be scrapped.

Even if perspex screens are scrapped, the guidelines on face masks will likely remain place in some settings “long-term”, Alex Reports, despite evidence of their benefits being equally threadbare.

Stop Press: You can read more about the leaked Stage 4 planning document here.