Getting used to masks? Consider face shields

The debate over whether Americans should wear face masks to control coronavirus transmission has been settled. Governments and businesses now require or at least recommend them in many public settings. But as parts of the country reopen, some doctors want you to consider another layer of personal protective equipment in your daily life: clear plastic face shields.

Who wants face shields?

Dr. Eli Perencevich, an infectious disease physician at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and two colleagues argued in an opinion article published last month in JAMA that clear plastic face shields could help reduce the transmission of infections when added to public health measures like increased testing, contact tracing, social distancing and hand hygiene.

An simple alcohol wipe or a rinse with soap and hot water is all it takes for shields to be contaminant-free again. Surgical masks and N95s, on the other hand, are meant to be disposed of after each use, although some studies have shown masks can be reused two or three times after being sterilized before they lose integrity.

Shields may be necessary

Perencevich believes that face shields should be the preferred personal protective equipment of everyone for the same reason health care workers use them: They protect the entire face, including the eyes, and prevent people from touching their faces.

And face shields may be easier to wear. Many people wear masks incorrectly, readjust them or remove them to communicate with others, which increases their risk of being exposed or infecting others. And while cloth masks can prevent people from spreading germs to others, they don’t usually protect the wearer from infection. Face shields can also aid people who depend on lip-reading.

Limits of shields

Still, he and other experts acknowledge face shields have their limits. Just like masks, they must be removed when eating in cafeterias or restaurants. And studies on how effectively they can reduce viral exposure are scarce. Even in close range, face shields can at times be as effective as masks like N95s, which create a seal around one’s face. There is also no research on how well one person’s face shield protects other people from viral transmission, the concept called source control that is a primary benefit of surgical and cloth masks.