There are many people who will not read this and change their mind about masks, however this article is for those that are still able to hear, to understand and are interested in the science behind masks.

It was not that long ago that people would be fined for spitting in public places to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, I am unsure if that law has ever been repealed.

We understood that the disease was carried in that spit and through the process of expelling it, others could be infected.

Yet here we are today with many arguing against the idea that disease can be carried in our vapours and water droplets.

We have grown up saying the simple rhyme of "coughs and sneezes spread diseases" and for the majority coughing without covering our mouths is seen as not only unhygienic, but incredibly rude.

For many people sneezing without a hankie or a tissue is unthinkable. So, why are we arguing about the effectiveness of masks?

Masks are worn all the time in hospitals, to protect patients as well as the staff. I cannot imagine a surgeon arguing that wearing a mask would be a bad idea.

Yet somehow a mask has become a symbol of restricted movement, and here we are having to listen to people talk about the dangers of wearing masks.

When the Covid-19 pandemic first came to our shores the government did not call for masks to be worn immediately because, we are told, there would not be enough masks for the NHS.

As it was, they were woefully unprepared as far as PPE goes. We knew Covid-19 was carried in droplets, but questions remained; how far would those droplets carry, did that include vapour and how long could the virus survive outside of the body?

There was no issue over whether masks would help our NHS staff. The question was, do homemade masks work?

The thing is, before we had all this easy plastic and non-woven materials, we had cotton. Our NHS used cotton masks, which were boiled after use and reused.

Due to that fact we knew that fabric masks must have had some positive effect. People had surgery in the past and the masks were used during the Spanish Flu pandemic of the 1930s.

While there was plenty of anecdotal evidence and material science however, no studies had been done on whether cloth masks were effective against Covid-19.

When I designed the community masks, I went to my textbooks and my experience as a designer, I worked with and listened to other experts and studied the work of material scientists.

We came up with our design to provide the best protection we could for our volunteers. Gradually there were more and more studies on Covid-19 transmission, on masks, on vapour.

In April I saw a video looking at a Japanese group who had managed to video and track the water vapour as it left people's mouths.

The group could study the way the vapour moved and how it was affected by drafts. I tested our masks and fabrics to see how effective they were, (not in a lab though, I would love to do that!).

Globally, more research has been coming out. Mask designs were tested, fabrics tested, all with the newer knowledge we had on Covid-19.

This research has not stopped, it is all ongoing. This is how science works.

When we read in the news that science is inconclusive, it does not mean there is no evidence. It means that there is still work to be done.

However, we take the precautionary principle to protect people. Therefore, we have laws for seat belts in cars. We do not go out for a drive with the intention of crashing, do we?

Now to the idea that wearing a mask is taking away your freedom. Well, yes it does, it takes away your freedom to breathe your germs on others.

You could be carrying Covid-19 and not have symptoms. You could infect others by not wearing a mask and that is not acceptable.

The same argument was used for smokers who felt that they had a right to smoke in a public space. They did not care that their smoke was toxic to others, some still do not believe it is.

The crux of the matter is that anti-mask wearers do not believe that Covid-19 is dangerous. They see no personal threat, so they happily deny it is real.

How do you get someone to believe that a disease is dangerous, when they refuse to even accept that deaths are caused by the disease?

We are in our tenth month now, and I know people who have lost loved ones to Covid-19. I am sorry that they must hear or read people denying the truth of what happened to those they love.

I am working to stop other people from losing a loved one. I am not saying that I agree with our government or that I support everything they say. I am not wearing a mask for the government.

I am listening to medical scientists, doctors and nurses and I am making a positive choice. A choice that allows me to continue living my life and supporting my community.

The likes of Piers Corbyn are not here to save anyone, he is not here to fight for our freedoms. If you wish to protest there are real issues that need attention, but I do not think he has anything to say to me that will bring me to freedom.

By Tamara Spring, Glastonbury Coronavirus Support Network co-ordinator