Cloth Face Coverings vs. Face Shields

As the United States adjusts to life with COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests wearing cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of the virus — especially when combined with other preventative actions and social distancing.

Do face shields fall into that category? Not quite. Prevention describes the covering as a “layer of clear plastic that is fastened at the forehead head-band style.”

Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician at Cleveland Clinic Akron General and a professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University, recently told Prevention, “Generally, they aren’t very comfortable and are difficult to wear for extended periods. Face shields also get fogged up and are hot to wear after a while. Because of this, the general public isn’t likely to find wearing them practical.”

The CDC’s recommendations for cloth face coverings

• Who should NOT use cloth face coverings: children under age 2, or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance
• Cloth face coverings are NOT surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Surgical masks and N-95 respirators must be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended in CDC guidance.

 

How to wear your cloth face covering correctly

• Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
• Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
• Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
• Make sure you can breathe easily

 

Read Dr. Watkins’ comments on face covering options in Prevention.