American Scientists: Face Shields Are A Better Solution For The Coronavirus Than Face Masks

Plastic face shields have a number of advantages over ordinary medical masks to protect against coronavirus infection, according to a scientific study conducted by a trio of physicians from the University of Iowa.

According to experts, the available data show that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 occurs in typical ways for respiratory viruses. In particular, you can get infected by airborne droplets, that is, through infectious particles that are close enough to the eyes, nose or mouth. Scientists compared two defenses that block such transmission of the virus: medical masks and plastic face shields.

Reporting in the April 29 Journal of the American Medical Association, experts said that the shields are quite effective at containing the virus.

“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,” Doctors Eli Perencevich, Daniel Diekema, and Michael Edmond wrote in their JAMA Viewpoint.

Scientists pointed out that, most likely, the use of this tool will also help curb the spread of the virus, and rated its effectiveness in the range from 68 to 96%. Experts added that face shields can be made at an affordable price and quickly distributed.

At the same time, the researchers specified that the effectiveness of shields when they are worn by an already sick person has not been studied.