Why should I have to wear a face mask to give blood?

Any day now I shall be frogmarched, or at least very firmly escorted, out of a blood donor centre in London. I know this is going to happen because I made the appointment weeks ago and I intend to keep it. But when I signed up to donate my pint of blood to the public good, I was not required to wear a muzzle during my donation. Now I am. I do not intend to do so. I find the idea of donning one of these face-nappies physically repulsive, and dislike the mouthless, submissive appearance they create in all their wearers. I also believe them to be futile. I know the government believes this too, because it was saying so only eight weeks ago, and there has been no great scientific discovery since then.

But above all, I am severely distressed by the obligation. I should not be forced into such a gesture. It requires me to assent to a stupid and damaging policy of national panic and self-imposed economic tragedy. I loathe the way we are more and more expected to silence our dissent. But this new requirement — to make a public declaration of support for the state by meekly gagging ourselves in public — is actually totalitarian.

You are welcome to say that I am being selfish. But hold on before you get carried away. I’m not sure how my level of selfishness is calculated. I am one of the very small minority (about 830,000 in England) who willingly donates blood. I’ve been doing it on and off since 1970. I often try to persuade others to join me, but I find that people are curiously reluctant to endure the needle in the arm and the small but definite risks involved.