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Written by LILAC member Dana Song
Deciding between face shields or face masks to wear? Well, ditch the shields and put on those masks.
Plastic Face Shields has been marketed as an alternative to face masks to protect someone against the coronavirus. However, recent research from Japan, that modeled the diffusion of aerosols on the world’s fastest computer, proved that face shields do little to stop the spread of microscopic airborne droplets.
Professor Makoto Tsubokura said face shields can be effective for protecting the wearer from droplets generated from others, but it is completely useless when protecting others from the wearer’s droplets. According to other simulations, face shields are completely incapable of capturing droplets five microns (a unit of length equal to one-millionth of a meter) or smaller.
Face masks have been proven to be considerably more effective at blocking air droplets. However, face shields and mouth coverings have become commonly used in the foodservice industry. It is extremely dangerous if the food industry doesn’t have the proper knowledge and PPE to ensure that coronavirus won’t be spread through their food.
So, if you ever see someone wearing a face shield without a mask, educate them on how shields are proven to be ineffective against coronavirus!
Super interesting read! I think it's really important to remember to always wear your mask, even with a face shield, which, based on the study, still has some use in protecting yourself from the virus.