With the face mask policy that is mandatory in all indoor public spaces in Ottawa, some residents have been wondering whether face shields can be worn instead. Many people share that they find them more comfortable than masks. The question is whether they are just as good?
According to the local public health experts – a short answer is – no.
The medical officer of health for Eastern Ontario stated that although face shields are better than nothing, they are not as good as effective as a mask that is tightly wrapped around the chin and over the nose.
The objective of wearing cloth masks is to limit the spread of respiratory droplets, released when people breathe, talk, and cough. The face shields, with space they leave around the chin and sides of your face cannot do that as effectively.
Masks are effective since they keep the respiratory secretions in more. If you are wearing a face shield, it is not tight against the face so the respiratory droplets can go out the bottom and out the sides.
Masks are now ubiquitous, but face shields are taking on their own role as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Face shields can be quickly and affordably made and distributed, reused indefinitely and easy to clean and comfortable to wear but it is not a substitute for a face mask.
A face shield can provide extra protection for the wearer against droplets expelled from another person, however, these droplets may still be inhaled around the shield. The respiratory droplets expelled by the wearer can escape around the sides of the face shield which provides less protection to others.
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Learn how to stay safe by enrolling in a mask fitting test which is a requirement for many workplaces and school admissions or check the available masks for sale by visiting our face mask sale page.
https://www.livescience.com/are-face-masks-effective-reducing-coronavirus-spread.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/cloth-face-coverings-information.pdf