Best Posts in Thread: A word for face shields

Having read about vaccinated people catching Covid (but generally NOT getting hospitalised) I think everyone (vaccinated one dose, two doses or unvaccinated) should be thinking about face shields - whatever government tells us and whatever people will write here about air currents! I am not such a great fan of putting too much emphasis on hand washing as between washing times the virus can so easily be picked up and passed on. I am a 100% advocate of well-fitting face masks combined with face shields (although until now I wore the latter only when requested by a store). The face shield helps prevent droplets landing on the face mask and also prevents touching of the eyes and this area is not covered by a face mask but is a perfect route for entry of the virus (many studies show this to be the case). It may be that many infections in mask-wearers are via the eyes by touching or by transmission through the air from an infected person. I wear specs so have a part protection (mainly to reduce touching of my eyes) but it really makes sense for me to wear a face shield all the time outdoors as I am not yet vaccinated. The fact that vaccinated individuals are getting Covid means the same for them - although their risk of serious illness is far less but the unpleasant experience and worry is still best avoided.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7882915/

Agree that health care workers are at the greater risk (as would be expected due to their close vicinity to people) but "According to a review of 172 studies analyzing data collected from 16 countries, if healthcare workers and executives wore eye shields, there is a significant protection against being infected by this virus and other respiratory pathogens. Moreover, wearing eye protection may make the transmission of COVID-19 about three times less likely, according to the study".

So, personal choice but unarguably another layer of protection.

 

Not required yesterday in Robinsons or Hypermart.

 

Agree, when you minister infected symptomatic people you must be totally protected, but for those of us who go about our daily lives with social distance and fully masked then face shields should be optional

 

A large study showed that 19% of health-care workers became infected, despite wearing three-layered surgical masks, gloves, and shoe covers and using alcohol rub. After the introduction of face shields, no worker was infected.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(21)00040-9/fulltext

 

I actually think the tr

I think the chance of catching it through the eyes is very low, but I do wear the face shield indoors, etc. None of the autopsies have shown infection along the optic nerve. They do find it in tears, etc., but the person is coughing so that could be how. While it does look like a good entry way, I've only read of one person who thought they got it that way on a long plane flight. Many people wear poorly fitted surgical masks. Those filter around 40% out and less if not fitted properly. I've noticed myself making mistakes, and tend to think we are all human and do that. I do wear clear plastic dust shields that Aces gave me from cataract surgery, but those aren't accepted as face shields by guards. I think a good fitting K95 mask works, but I suspect knock offs. They tested knock offs and some of them were up to 80% though, which I think is pretty good. If I take a plane flight, I'll be wearing the ACE's dust shields though.