“Face Shields Do NOT Work,” Warns Covid Expert As Shops And Salons Reopen In England

• Face shields “do not work,” a UK Covid expert said.
• Independent SAGE’s Prof Christina Pagel has expressed her concern about seeing people wearing a “face shield instead of a mask.”
• “A face visor or shield may be worn in addition to a face covering but not instead of one,” she emphasized.

A Covid-19 expert from the UK recently issued a warning about face shields: they actually do not work!

Prof Christina Pagel of the Independent SAGE, a scientific group helping scrutinize Covid policies, pointed this out as as grooming salons, gyms, restaurants, and shops have started reopening their doors across England.

According to Prof Pagel, she’s a “bit worried by how many staff wear a face shield instead of a mask – shields do not work.”

“A face visor or shield may be worn in addition to a face covering but not instead of one,” remarked Pagel. “This is because face visors or shields do not adequately cover the nose and mouth, and do not filter airborne particles.”

The professor is hoping that this information will be “much more widely advertised” by officials so people will be reminded about it.

As she further explained:

“Face shields on their own aren’t good enough and I don’t think that’s ever been made public through a campaign, because loads of shop staff are still wearing just face shields.

“I’ve seen hairdressers and beauticians wearing just face shields, and they’re often standing over people’s heads funneling the air down to your face.

“I think the government should be much stronger on the public health messaging.”

In an official post, we also read that CDC “does not recommend” using face shields as a mask substitute.

The post continues:

“Face shields are not as effective at protecting you or the people around you from respiratory droplets. Face shields have large gaps below and alongside the face, where your respiratory droplets may escape and reach others around you and will not protect you from respiratory droplets from others. “

Meanwhile, top UK epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson has said that people will need to continue wearing masks, although the government may no longer make it a legal requirement in the future.

“People have got used to being very cautious around each other, used to wearing masks,” he said. “I think it’s quite possible that this pandemic, which has been an immensely traumatic event for this country and for the world, will cause significant long-term cultural changes, behavioral changes in the population.”