Face shields are better than mask, from JAMA

[safeinOhio]

Face shields come in various forms, but all provide a clear plastic barrier that covers the face. For optimal protection, the shield should extend below the chin anteriorly, to the ears laterally, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece. Face shields require no special materials for fabrication and production lines can be repurposed fairly rapidly. Numerous companies, including Apple, Nike, GM, and John Deere, have all started producing face shields. These shields can be made from materials found in craft or office supply stores. Thus, availability of face shields is currently greater than that of medical masks.

Face shields offer a number of advantages. While medical masks have limited durability and little potential for reprocessing, face shields can be reused indefinitely and are easily cleaned with soap and water, or common household disinfectants. They are comfortable to wear, protect the portals of viral entry, and reduce the potential for autoinoculation by preventing the wearer from touching their face. People wearing medical masks often have to remove them to communicate with others around them; this is not necessary with face shields. The use of a face shield is also a reminder to maintain social distancing, but allows visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception.

Most important, face shields appear to significantly reduce the amount of inhalation exposure to influenza virus, another droplet-spread respiratory virus. In a simulation study, face shields were shown to reduce immediate viral exposure by 96% when worn by a simulated health care worker within 18 inches of a cough.10 Even after 30 minutes, the protective effect exceeded 80% and face shields blocked 68% of small particle aerosols,10 which are not thought to be a dominant mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2. When the study was repeated at the currently recommended physical distancing distance of 6 feet, face shields reduced inhaled virus by 92%,10 similar to distancing alone, which reinforces the importance of physical distancing in preventing viral respiratory infections. Of note, no studies have evaluated the effects or potential benefits of face shields on source control, ie, containing a sneeze or cough, when worn by asymptomatic or symptomatic infected persons. However, with efficacy ranges of 68% to 96% for a single face shield, it is likely that adding source control would only improve efficacy, and studies should be completed quickly to evaluate this.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765525

[Susan Calvin]

1. This is hopeful news to me.

I find shields a lot easier to wear than masks, especially the kind that attach to the bill of a baseball cap.

[mucifer]

2. especially if the bill of the baseball cap is 6 feet long. :)

[safeinOhio]

3. I ordered a few from Amazon

and they don't cost much more than mask. Of course, using both would be best. You could also reach up and pull down the mask to speak better.

[Sherman A1]

4. Thanks for posting

this is an interesting read.

[DBoon]

5. and you can help everyone know the truth about de-evolution!

[Ms. Toad]

6. That's an editorial comment -

with data focused primarily on the worst scenario.

I'd like to see better data.

Until last Wednesday, I had planned to be teaching starting mid-August wearing a face shield - and had just ordered more-expensive face shields, since I don't like the hug-your-head model. I even spent more to get the ear-to-ear protection. My understanding was that shields provided less protection because of the air gaps (bottom and sides). That was a risk I'd decided to take for the limited time I was in front of the class.

Then on Wednesday, I was told I'd have to teach in a mask because shields are insufficient. That poses communication challenges, especially with individuals who rely in whole or part on lip-reading.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

9. No way that I'd only wear a face shield!

This editorial piece seems like dangerous advice to me.

I am certain that the authors would never ONLY wear face shields when dealing directly with Covid-19 patients! (Unless they're the fancy shields which use air pressure to keep droplets and aerosols from reaching their faces.)

On the other hand, shields would be better than nothing.

[safeinOhio]

10. Both would be the best choice.

No doubt.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

13. Yes, I agree.

I have some plastic face shields too, bought months ago.

I prefer sealed goggles for eye protection, but they can get foggy in hot and humid conditions. A tight-fitting mask with a face shield would be better in those situations imo. It always helps to see!

[soothsayer]

7. You can eat and drink with them on! This is what I do

For outdoor, breezy, 90 minute-limit situations with 5 or fewer people I know.

[soothsayer]

8. But i can't imagine they'd help avoid indoor aerosols.

[safeinOhio]

11. As load and speed of droplets

are important. At least you would not get the blast from a cough or yelling.
Both would be best.

[soothsayer]

12. Yes I do both while not eating

Bloody Mary straws actually fit nicely under the mask/shield combo. 🍺 is harder so I try to stick to straws.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

14. That's definitely a benefit of the face shields.

I've been avoiding eating in public, but it would be great if people who do it all wore face shields.

[soothsayer]

15. Last time I brought spares for my two friends

Let them keep ‘em.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

16. So nice of you!

Thank you for helping!

[soothsayer]

19. Ha! Might have not wanted them breathing on me

But I also like these folks.

Wasn’t really sure how they’d react. They seemed happy to have them!

I figured maybe they’d spread the gospel. Turned out one was headed to a small bbq and I suspect she ended up at least demo-ing it.

A win all the way around.

[JudyM]

17. Which ones do you like?

Have a link handy?

[soothsayer]

18. Anything multi-pack you see on Amazon is probably fine

I go through a cost/how soon can they be here calculus.

Reviews will tell you too. (If you really really want I can look...!)

[JudyM]

20. No, that's ok, only thought there might be one you'd tried and recommend.

[soothsayer]

21. I've gotten three batches from different places

And I think all were the same thing.

Probably can’t go wrong unless you see horrible reviews.

Good luck!