Why Can't Face Shields Replace Covid-19 Face Masks? What Do Experts Say?

Many people believe face shield will likely replace mask in protecting their health from the COVID-19. So what do experts say about the true effects of shields?

HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM, January 25, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As daily coronavirus cases keep rising on a global scale, the use of face masks to retrain the spread from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has become a common part of our daily routine.

As temperatures rise in the summer, some people seem very much opposed to wearing masks, however. They claim that they can't breathe well and feel less comfortable while wearing them. Therefore, a lot of people have used shields as an alternative for face masks.

Could face shields replace masks in preventing COVID-19?

Face shields are curved pieces of clear plastics that come down and surround the face. They are worn like hats and regularly used as protective equipment by health care workers.

Lately, many have begun to believe that face shields can be the alternative for masks in the battle against coronavirus while there are others who think shields do not help at this time. This has sparked some scolded debate among the community. So what do experts say about the true effects of shields?

“The face shields cannot take the role of the mask. Because they were just used as an extra precaution with a medical mask by a doctor and health care worker”, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, an American physician and the nation's top infectious disease specialist.

Dr. Leong Hoe Nam, who is a specialist at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, concurred with Dr. Fauci's point. He highlighted that although the face shields are useful adjuncts and people can breathe well while wearing them. But they only cover the face, and there are obvious gaps that are coming in from the sides and from the top and from the bottom.

Furthermore, the primary way the virus spreads is to travel in every direction by respiratory droplets. So a shield just covering the front of the face does not offer as much protection.

In fact, there are significant amounts of different researches on the effects of masks. Meanwhile, the number of published research papers on the shield for the protection of humans from coronavirus seems to be absent.

William Lindsley, a research biomedical engineer at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, states that shields would protect you against the big stuff better. But masks are good when it comes to keeping really small particles like infectious particles produced from speaking, coughing, or sneezing at bay. So the shield will not be able to replace this effect of medical masks in the curb of infecting another person.

In addition, Dr. Molly Hyde, MHS, CIC, Infection Control Practitioner at GBMC also stated that no one could guarantee that the shields wouldn't be infected by bacteria and viruses if it wasn't disinfected regularly and in the proper manner. Moreover, the standard design for non-medical face shields and medical face shields are different.

Some other benefits of face shields to be a more effective deterrent to COVID
However, not all the medical community is convinced of these statements. "Shields are more comfortable and have advantages over masks", said a team of physicians from the University of Iowa. First of all, you can talk, breathe well, and don't feel very muffled while wearing shields. Secondly, they are reusable and wipe down easily with soap or common disinfectants.

Another argument in favor of shields is that "these protective gears can prevent people from touching their faces. Hence, it would restrict the spread of the virus as skin-to-skin contact is now kept at a minimum level.

Still, Dr. Diekema from the University of Iowa stressed that there are numerous people who can't wear a mask due to underlying medical conditions. And most students will be going to have difficulty with wearing masks to listen to lectures and express their opinions.

At the Manatee School District in Florida, people are not required to put on masks when leaving the house. Therefore, choosing a face shield is probably reasonable and still enough to protect themselves with a face-covering policy.

The superintendent of the Hillsdale School District in Ohio - Steve Dickerson, told ABC News that all students and school staff have been requested to wear masks when school resumes in the fall semester. And they have likewise requested shields as a final attempt to guarantee safety.

Dickerson also told ABC News that compelling the students to wear masks when attending school would be a difficult campaign. Because there are many small classrooms in less good condition that don't be set up with air-conditioning equipment. Perhaps wearing a mask will make students uncomfortable, not to mention it can result in breathing issues in certain cases.

A spokesperson for the school district, Michael Barber has declined a request for an interview with ABC News. But he said that cloth masks and medical face masks are their primary means of protection and would be distributed to every student and school employee. They are clarifying the situations that use shields instead of masks.

Currently, it is critical for people to continue to follow public health safety measures regarding masks and face shields to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Some people are choosing both infection-prevention methods.

In summary, wearing shields are just a flawed prevention approach that can not replace medical masks. Requiring masks is a cost-effective and democracy-compatible containment measure for COVID-19. Besides, everyone should seriously practice social distancing and do not gather in crowded places when not needed.

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Henry Pham
Dony Garment
+84 985310123
exportmask@dony.vn

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