What is a face shield?

A face shield is a film made from plastic or other transparent material designed to be worn like a visor. It’s attached using a band that goes around the top of your head. Think of a visor a welder wears to protect themselves from sparks and injury. Health-care workers use face shields to block bodily fluids from coming into contact with their face, and potentially causing infection.

How effective are face shields?

A letter , published recently in the journal Physics of Fluids, reported on a laboratory experiment where scientists put face shields to the test. They simulated coughing by connecting the head of a mannequin to a fog machine, and then using a pump to expel the vapour through the mannequin’s mouth. They found that while face shields stopped the droplets being propelled forwards, aerosolised droplets — those much smaller in size — lingered at the bottom of the shield and floated around at the sides. They eventually spread approximately 90 centimetres from the mannequins.

Where does this leave us?

There’s a lot we still don’t know about this virus and how it spreads. At present, we believe the virus is spread generally through close contact with an infectious person, contact with the droplets emitted when they sneeze or cough, or contact with surfaces these droplets have contaminated.

Why correct use is important too?

Whatever face covering you choose, you must use it properly, and it must fit correctly. Having masks slung under the chin, hanging off one ear, or your nose poking out over the top of the mask will make them markedly less effective. And of course frequently touching and re-adjusting the mask means we’re possibly contaminating our hands too.

What’s the bottom-line?

Masks worn correctly are the best option. When wearing a mask is not possible, then a face shield is better than nothing. Neither will work well if not used properly, and importantly, they don’t replace physical distancing and hand hygiene.

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FAQ: Does a Face Shield Protect Against COVID-19? Are Masks Safer?

A face shield is a film made from plastic or other transparent material designed to be worn like a visor.

Philip Russo & Brett Mitchell, The Conversation

Published: 15 Sep 2020, 1:09 PM IST

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For several weeks, Victorians have been required to wear a face covering when they leave home. And while we now have a clearer path out of lockdown, it’s likely masks will be around for a while.

Meanwhile, people in other states with outbreaks have been encouraged to wear masks, and some people are simply choosing to wear one as a precaution.

But some people in the community, instead of opting for a traditional mask, are instead wearing a face shield.

This might offer some degree of protection — but it’s probably not as good as a mask in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

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FAQ: Does a Face Shield Protect Against COVID-19? Are Masks Safer?

A face shield is a film made from plastic or other transparent material designed to be worn like a visor.

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