THEY CAN MAKE IT HARD TO
BREATHE.
SO ARE FACE SHIELDS AN OPTION
FOR YOU?
WE’LL FINDING OUT WHERE HEALTH
EXPERTS STAND.
IT’S A FACE-OFF.
AS COVID-19 CASES SPIKE, GROWING
CALLS TO KEEP YOUR FACE COVERED.
>> FACE COVERINGS ARE GAME
CHANGERS.
IT’S GOING TO BE REQUIRED.
>> Reporter: IN FACT, AT LEAST
24 STATES AND COUNTLESS CITIES
AND COUNTIES HAVE ORDERS IN
PLACE REQUIRING PEOPLE TO WEAR
FACE COVERINGS IN PUBLIC.
BUT WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?
A MASK OR A FACE SHIELD?
>> I WOULD WEAR A FACE SHIELD AS
THE PREFERRED FACE COVERING IN
PUBLIC OVER A HOMEMADE MASK,
OVER A SURGICAL MASK.
>> Reporter: THIS DOCTOR IS AN
INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT AT
JOHNS HOPKINS.
WHY IS A FACE SHIELD EFFECTIVE?
>> IT COVERS YOUR MOUTH, NOSE,
AND EYES.
THE EYES ARE A ROUTE OF
INFECTION.
WE KNOW PEOPLE WHO WEAR MASKS
ARE TOUCHING THEIR FACES TO
ADJUST THEM.
WHEN YOU WEAR A FACE SHIELD,
THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE.
>> THESE ARE DEFINITELY A
DIFFERENT LOOK AND FEEL THAN THE
MASKS.
FOR STARTERS, IT’S A LOT EASIER
TO TALK AND TO BREATHE WHILE
WEARING THEM.
AND I DON’T HAVE TO ADJUST IT
ONCE I PUT IT ON.
PLUS, I CAN ACTUALLY EVEN DRINK
WHILE WEARING IT.
AND A BONUS, THE FACIAL
RECOGNITION ON MY PHONE WORKS.
BUT AFTER WEARING A MASK FOR THE
PAST FEW MONTHS, IT IS A STRANGE
SENSATION TO HAVE SO MUCH OPEN
SPACE UNDERNEATH MY CHIN AND
AROUND THE SIDE OF MY FACE.
WHEN I WEAR A MASK, YOU CAN SEE
IT COVERS MY NOSE, MOUTH, AND
CHIN WITHOUT ANY BIG GAPS.
THE CDC RECOMMENDS WE WEAR FACE
MASKS LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEY
CAPTURE GERMS AND PREVENT THEM
FROM SPREADING TO OTHERS.
SO WHICH ONE IS BETTER?
SO FAR NO STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE
TO COMPARE THE TWO WHEN IT COMES
TO COVID-19.
BUT A 2014 STUDY LOOKED AT HOW
WELL FACE SHIELDS BLOCKED FLU
DROPLETS.
THEY FOUND FACE SHIELDS REDUCED
EXPOSURE TO DROPLETS BY 96%.
BUT SMALLER DROPLETS WERE ABLE
TO FLOAT AROUND THE SHIELD AND
BE INHALED.
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
HAS NOW ACKNOWLEDGED CORONAVIRUS
MAY LINGER IN THE AIR AND COULD
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUTBREAKS OF
COVID-19 REPORTED IN
RESTAURANTS, NIGHTCLUBS, WORK,
AND PLACES OF WORSHIP.
STILL, THE DOCTOR SAYS HE
BELIEVES FACE SHIELDS ARE
EFFECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE WAY
DROB LETS MOVE IN THE AIR.
THE FACE SHIELD SEEMS TO HAVE A
LOT OF OPENINGS DOWN BY YOUR
MOUTH AND CHIN AREA.
DOES THAT REDUCE THEIR
EFFECTIVENESS?
>> YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE
FACE SHIELDS GOES DOWN TO AT
LEAST YOUR CHIN.
THERE’S GOING TO BE AN OPENING
THERE.
BUT I DON’T THINK YOU’RE SEEING
MANY PEOPLE GETTING INFECTED
WHERE A DROPLET GOES DOWN AND
BACK UP.
>> Reporter: CLOTH MASKS
PREVENTS YOU FROM SPREADING THE
VIRUS BUT HE THINKS FACE SHIELDS
PROVIDE TWO-WAY PROTECTION.
HOWEVER, THE CDC DOES NOT
RECOMMEND USING FACE SHIELDS AS
A SUBSTITUTE FOR CLOTH FACE
COVERINGS.
AND RESEARCH SHOWS MASKS PREVENT
THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 BY
CONTAINING GERMS.
BACK IN JUNE WITH HELP OF A
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
MICROBIOLOGIST, WE SHOWED YOU
HOW THREE DIFFERENT MASKS
CONTAINED BACTERIA AND DROPLETS
FROM MY COUGH.
DROPLETS THAT COULD CARRY
CORONAVIRUS.
NOTHING GREW ON THE PETRI DISHES
WHEN I HAD MY NOSE AND MOUTH
COVERED.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT GREW WHEN I
DIDN’T.
WHETHER IT’S A SHIELD OR A MASK,
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS AGREE
COVERING YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH
WILL REDUCE THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19.
NOW, HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAVE
WORN FACE SHIELD FOR YEARS IN
ADDITION TO A MASK BECAUSE THEY
HAVE HIGHER EXPOSURE TO SICK
PATIENTS.
YOU HAVE ONE I BROUGHT FOR YOU
TO TRY ON.
YOU’LL FEEL THE DIFFERENCE RIGHT
AWAY.
DONE.
SET IT AND FERGTSORGET IT.
YOU DON’T NEED TO ADJUST IT.
>> I HAVE TO ADMIT AFTER I SAW
YOUR STORY, CAN YOU STILL HEAR
ME?
>> YEAH.
>> I ORDERED SOME ONLINE.
BUT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD
RUSH OUT?
I LIKE THE IDEA OF YOU’RE NOT
TOUCHING YOUR FACE BECAUSE YOU
CAN’T.
>> AND YOU’RE NOT INCLINED TO.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO RUN OUT AND
ORDER THESE.
THE CDC SAYS MASKS IS STILL THE
GOLD STANDARD.
BUT IF YOU HAVE BREATHING
ISSUES, THIS COULD BE A PARTIAL
SOLUTION FOR WALKING AROUND
OUTSIDE.
IF YOU’RE INSIDE, I WOULD ADVISE
TO STILL WEAR A MASK BECAUSE OF
THE CIRCULATION ISSUES.
AND LET’S SAY YOU’RE ON A PLANE.
I’D WEAR BOTH.
YOU HAVE THE EYE PROTECTION.
YOU’VE GOT THE MASK.
IT MAY SEEM OVERKILL, BUT I
DON’T WANT TO GET SICK.
>> WELL, IT’S COMFORTABLE.
I WONDER BECAUSE SOME STATES
HAVE RULES LIKE YOU HAVE TO WEAR
MASKS.
DOES THIS WORK IF YOU SAY I’VE
GOT THIS ON, AM I GOOD?
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE STATE.
NEW YORK JUST SAID THESE ARE
ALLOWED TO BE WORN IN THE PLACE
OF A FACE MASK.
THINK ABOUT THIS, A LOT OF
BUSINESSES NOW HAVE SIGNS IN THE
WINDOW SAYING MASKS ARE
REQUIRED.
I WOULD ALWAYS KEEP A MASK WITH
ME.
>> AND IF YOU ORDER THIS ONE AND
YOU SHOWED ME THERE’S LIKE A
THIN LAYER OF SOMETHING YOU GOT
