EVERYONE should wear a face covering in public to reduce the risk of a second wave of Covid-19 infections, the president of the Royal Society, the oldest national scientific institution in the world, has urged.

Professor Venki Ramakrishnan said people should wear a mask when they leave home – particularly in enclosed indoor spaces – but acknowledged that the public remain “sceptical” about the benefits.

Not wearing them outside the home should be considered as “anti-social” as drink-driving, or failing to wear a seat belt, he said.

In Wales, the government advises the use of three-layer, non-medical face covering "where it might be difficult to stay 2m away from others".

They add: "The evidence remains clear that the most effective way to protect yourself and others from infection is to follow social distancing rules, avoid touching surfaces and your face, and wash your hands regularly."

Prof Ramakrishnan said: “The virus has not been eliminated, so, as we lift lockdown and people increasingly interact with each other, we need to use every tool we have to reduce the risk of a second wave of infection.

“There are no silver bullets, but alongside hand washing and physical distancing, we also need everyone to start wearing face coverings, particularly indoors in enclosed public spaces where physical distancing is often not possible.”

Prof Ramakrishnan said the UK is “way behind” other countries in wearing face coverings, as he claimed that messaging has been unclear and that “inconsistent” guidance has led to people following their own preferences.

“Whatever the reasons, we need to overcome our reservations and wear face coverings whenever we are around others in public,” he said.

“It used to be quite normal to have quite a few drinks and drive home, and it also used to be normal to drive without seat belts.

“Today both of those would be considered anti-social, and not wearing face coverings in public should be regarded in the same way.

“If all of us wear one, we protect each other and thereby ourselves, reducing transmission.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that the use of a medical mask could prevent the spread of droplets from an infected person.

It said, however, that “there is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses, including Covid-19″.

A report by the Royal Society’s Set-C (Science in Emergencies Tasking – Covid-19) group, published on Tuesday, considered the behavioural factors in the public’s adherence to wearing face coverings.

The report, which has not been subject to formal peer review, found that, in late April, uptake of wearing face coverings in the UK was around 25%, compared with 83.4% in Italy, 65.8% in the United States and 63.8% in Spain.

“What is clear is that it isn’t the public’s fault for not wearing masks in the UK,” said Professor Melinda Mills, of the University of Oxford and lead author of the publication.

“Rather, consistent policies and effective public messaging is vital, which have even differed across England, Scotland and Wales.”