Is Face Shield accepted as a replacement for masks? Pennsylvania CDC gives conflicting tips-News-Bucks County Courier Times

As face covers penetrate into everyday life, the Face Shield option (which users say is more comfortable and easier to communicate with) is becoming more popular. The Pennsylvania Department of Health says it’s an acceptable alternative to cloth masks, but some experts are disputing the effectiveness of face shields as a replaceable option.

Jay Howard Gross has no problem adhering to Pennsylvania’s face-covering orders. But he doesn’t wear a mask.

With asthma and seasonal allergies, Gross has become a big fan of plastic face shields.

Still, sometimes, when he is in the store, employees demand that he wear a mask.

“Many people won’t get over it,” said Gross, who welcomes guidance from the Department of Health, Pennsylvania, who sees face shields as an acceptable alternative to masks and other covers. “They are still afraid they might be kicked out of the store.”

Experts are divided on the effectiveness of face shields as a replaceable option.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has decided that it can be used in place of a mask. The state’s “Universal Face Coverings Order” has an option to “Include a plastic face shield covering your nose and mouth.”

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance does not recommend the use of face shields as a replacement for fabric face covers due to lack of research. “It’s not clear if face shields will have any benefit as a source control to protect others from respiratory particle splashes,” said the agency’s guidance.

However, when using a face shield without a mask, the CDC recommends that the user provide a shield that wraps around the sides of the wearer’s face and extends below the chin.

Despite conflicting advice, face shields (which users say are more comfortable and easier to communicate with) are becoming more and more popular as face covers become more and more popular in everyday life.

Doylestown business owner Mike Guarantee knows why.

He offered homemade fudge at New York’s Farmers Market at temperatures above 90 degrees on Wednesday, “They are more comfortable, breathable and people can see your face best suited for communication. ].

“I’ve seen employees at Wegmans and Costco wear face shields,” said Guarantee, who was asked to wear a mask in addition to a face shield at one store.

While some customers are dissatisfied with the use of shields instead of cloth masks, Galanti believes that more education on shields will make them more acceptable.

The case of switching to the face shield has been greatly pushed up recently. This is when Bucks County officials have announced plans to purchase 200,000 face shields for students and teachers in public and private schools using federal CARES law funds.

Their rationale is based on science, safety and social behaviour, and students who need to wear face covers wear cloth masks rather than turning on the shield for hours.

“We tried to come up with an option that could give the face something that children couldn’t always play or touch,” said Damsker. “It feels cool and easy to disinfect. I want people to use it, but masks that aren’t used or used incorrectly are not good masks.”

Other benefits of face shields include providing eye protection, allowing users to speak and hear more clearly, and to breathe more comfortably, Damsker said.

“When you cough or talk, the droplets stop spreading. Unlike cloth masks, they prevent them from getting into your eyes.”

“With this option, you don’t have to yell at the mask or pull it down to have a conversation,” added Damsker. “Every time we touch the mask, especially on the outside, there is a potential for contamination. We provide a mechanism that children can wear comfortably to facilitate the education of teachers and children.”

Face shield science

Although little research has been done on face shields, one study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2014 found that face shields were very effective: “Inhalation of cough aerosols containing influenza. It can protect researchers from 96% of exposure.”

The Philadelphia Children’s Hospital (CHOP) also recommends masks, but a policy review at the time of school reopening in Pennsylvania found that face shields provide a partial barrier to respiratory splashes and masking can interfere with teacher instructions. It has been reported that it may be useful in certain classroom environments or when distances are in excess of 6 feet cannot be achieved in the classroom. “

Dr Rabinah Kala, an infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist, and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Infectious Diseases, said the face shield protects your nose and mouth, as well as your eyes, the point of entry for the virus. The shield also does not restrict breathing and is more comfortable than a mask, especially during the summer, but it prevents face contact.

“Importantly, in the school environment, the shields expose facial expressions, which is very important for early childhood development,” she said.

But Kullar also knows of previous studies that have shown the benefits of using face shields to control sneezing and coughing when worn by asymptomatic or symptomatic infected people. did not.

“If these masks are shown repeatedly to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection until these studies have been done in some patient cohorts, we recommend that you also wear them if you wear a face mask. She will do,” she said.

I don’t have time to study

According to Damscar, waiting for research to compare the effects of both types of face coverings is impractical.

“We won’t have time to do a detailed efficacy study of Face Shield vs. Cross Mask,” he said. “The face shield is clearly allowed under the governor’s orders. This is an acceptable alternative and it turns out that the face shield does a very good job of blocking droplet spread. This is a big part of that.”

A cloth face mask also blocks the spread of droplets. But students are unlikely to maintain them for long periods of time, he said.

“It doesn’t work if the child doesn’t wear a (cloth) mask all day, or if he wants to take the mask off his nose every time the teacher wants to talk,” said Damsker. “When a child touches something with COVID and touches the mask, the mask is contaminated.”

On Wednesday at New Britain Farmers Market, parent and teacher Lorike Sillman was talking to a friend about the county’s purchase of Face Shield.

“I’m worried because I’m a teacher and a parent,” she said. “I think that face shield is not the only problem, not just wearing a (shield) mask.”

According to Damscar, the county purchases shields as a public service and students don’t have to wear them. “Some parents may not want their children to wear it, that’s fine, but we’re going to make it like every child who wants it has it .”

“Overall, people need to find something that works for them,” he said. “Whatever mask you wear, it only helps if you wear it.”