Experimental Efficacy of the Face Shield and the Mask against Emitted and Potentially Received Particles

Jean-Michel Wendling, Thibaut Fabacher, Philippe-Pierre Pébaÿ, Isabelle Cosperec and Michaël Rochoy
Additional contact information
Jean-Michel Wendling: Occupational Health and Safety, ACST, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
Thibaut Fabacher: Department of Public Health, GMRC, CHRU, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
Philippe-Pierre Pébaÿ: NexGen Analytics, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA
Isabelle Cosperec: PharmD, F-94210 St Maur-des-Fossés, France
Michaël Rochoy: General Medicine Department, University Lille, CERIM, ULR 2694, F-59000 Lille, France

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: There is currently not sufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of face shields for source control. In order to evaluate the comparative barrier performance effect of face masks and face shields, we used an aerosol generator and a particle counter to evaluate the performance of the various devices in comparable situations. We tested different configurations in an experimental setup with manikin heads wearing masks (surgical type I), face shields (22.5 cm high with overhang under the chin of 7 cm and circumference of 35 cm) on an emitter or a receiver manikin head, or both. The manikins were face to face, 25 cm apart, with an intense particle emission (52.5 L/min) for 30 s. The particle counter calculated the total cumulative particles aspirated on a volume of 1.416 L In our experimental conditions, when the receiver alone wore a protection, the face shield was more effective (reduction factor = 54.8%), while reduction was lower with a mask (reduction factor = 21.8%) ( p = 0.002). The wearing of a protective device by the emitter alone reduced the level of received particles by 96.8% for both the mask and face shield ( p = NS). When both the emitter and receiver manikin heads wore a face shield, the protection allowed for better results in our experimental conditions: 98% reduction for the face shields versus 97.3% for the masks ( p = 0.01). Face shields offered an even better barrier effect than the mask against small inhaled particles (<0.3 µm–0.3 to 0.5 µm–0.5 to 1 µm) in all configurations. Therefore, it would be interesting to include face shields as used in our experimental study as part of strategies to reduce transmission within the community setting.

Keywords: face shields; masks; particles; aerosolization; covid19; covid; coronavirus infections; aerosols; pneumonia; prevention and control; protective devices; pandemics; emitter; receiver; experimental setup (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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