Are Covid masks doing more harm than good in elderly care?

However, she is convinced that 89-year-old Olive’s symptoms have accelerated more rapidly because for the past two years she has rarely seen anyone talk or smile at the care home where she lives.

While families are permitted to remove face coverings in relatives’ bedrooms, their use by staff is still required in all but exceptional circumstances following the latest surge in Covid cases.

“The restrictions destroyed her - mentally and physically,” says Ms Walker, who is a well-known TV sports presenter.

“Yes, that would have happened anyway but not as speedily as it did.

“Mum went from being interactive, happy and engaging [with us] to a virtual vegetable within nine months.

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“There is now no recognition of any family member and over the last few months her speech has virtually gone. 

“I firmly believe this is because she hasn’t seen anyone speak for over two years and for 95% of her day. The only time she sees a face is when family are there.

She says she has witnessed her mother watching her lips and "trying to interact and actually forming sentences" when she visits, un-masked.

She added: “They are meant to be living in a home not a hospital.  I am sure this must also be a breach of human rights - abusing the ability to communicate when science and compassion dictates otherwise.

"Mum is 89, she has suffered enough.”

She said pictures taken of her mother in June 2021 and a year later show the deterioration.

While many studies support the protective effects of face coverings, Alzheimer Scotland has expressed concern about prolonged, mandated use in care homes and is seeking round table talks with the Scottish Government. The Mental Welfare Commission Scotland has also said it will be seeking discussions with the Care Inspectorate.

A study by the University of Cambridge and University Hospital Leipzig warned that masks could accelerate cognitive decline in dementias and said strategies have to be developed to cope with the “profound changes of communication”.

READ MORE: World first dementia study offers prevention hopes 

The Scottish Government say that guidance allows for staff to remove masks in cases where it is causing distress or where a resident has communication difficulties.

However families say many staff are so worried about breaching guidelines that they are wearing masks when they are not required to. 

With vaccine boosters, antiviral drugs, testing and social distancing at our disposal now, opponents say masks may be doing more harm than good.

In the week up to July 11, there were 62 deaths registered in Scotland in the 75 and over age group where Covid-19 was a factor. Deaths were highest in mid-March, reaching 146 in March 21.

A care sector source said: “The virus is currently in one in five care homes even with mask wearing.

“The government always say ‘everything is under review’. These are mostly meaningless and empty words, particularly when there is no timescale for reporting a conclusion.

“The argument of an employer protecting staff by mask wearing is invalid now that mask wearing in society is close to non-existent.”

Hans Kluge, Europe director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said earlier this week that he would like to see masks reintroduced across Europe from early autumn.

READ MORE: Number of Scots with Covid increases for seventh week in a row 

However, Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents the independent sector, says statements are being made without “full sensitivity” of the nature of care home life and the needs of residents. 

Nevertheless, he says there is wide variation of “strongly held views” about the use of face coverings in residential care.

“Some say they have damaged communication while others say residents are happy that they are used by staff and that they have helped protect against other viruses such as flu,” he said.

“We need to see clear evidence of benefit.

“I personally have argued that the issue of mask wearing should be one of the personal choice of the individual resident, family and staff member and that blanket requirements should not be being made without very clear clinical evidence re benefit etc balanced against proportionality and other harms caused by mask wearing for the particular population or individual involved.

He said that while face coverings might have been appropriate for a specific and limited period, their use over an extensive period of  time “should be considered differently.”

He said:”Is the protection from harm now outweighed by psychological, emotional and physiological harms caused by wearing masks? 

Valerie Nelson, an independent social worker, said there is a risk that the use of masks in care homes becomes normalised when knowledge about how to keep people safe from Covid has advanced so much and lessons have been learned.

She said: “I’m not alone in struggling to understand why the Scottish Government’s policy on the continuing use of masks in care homes has not been vociferously challenged by professionals in the organisations who support and guide the health and social care workforce.

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“We seem to have forgotten that the starting point for such devastating mitigation measures in care homes was the surge in deaths in the Spring of 2020 caused by a perfect storm of events, many of them avoidable, that will never be repeated and hopefully addressed in the forthcoming inquiry.”

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Face masks provide an additional measure to protect those living in care and the care workers providing care and support to them.

“We continue to regularly review all protective measures in care homes, considering the risk of COVID-19 and the impact of the protective measures in place throughout these reviews.

"As a result of our recent reviews, guidance was updated to enable visitors to choose not to wear a face mask when visiting their loved one in their room and to support the reintroduction of community groups into care homes.  

“The current face mask guidance for social care staff already recommends that staff can remove face masks where a resident has communication issues or is distressed. 

“A specific review of  face mask guidance for staff in health and social care settings is currently underway which will consider the COVID-19 risks to staff and residents as well as the potential harms of the any remaining protective measures on wellbeing. 

“Information provided by Alzheimer’s Scotland, relatives and service providers has been included in the review. Scottish Government has offered to meet Alzheimer Scotland to discuss the review.”