Face shields and masks are a winning Covid combo

Health experts are calling for Sydneysiders living in Covid-19 hot spots to wear both face shields and masks while they are outside to prevent further transmission of the Delta strain.

A woman wears a face shield in Sydney’s Bondi Junction. Picture: Ryan Osland

Health experts are calling for people in Sydney’s Covid-19 hot spots to wear both face shields and masks while they are outside to prevent further transmission of the Delta variant.

As NSW recorded 262 new cases and five deaths on Thursday, ANU epidemiologist Darren Gray said the state should consider mandating masks and face shields to prevent the virus infecting people via their eyes.

At least 45 people were active in the NSW community for the entirety of their infectious ­period, which Premier Gladys Berejiklian said was “the number we are desperate to see reduced”.

“If someone has the virus in their throat, a face shield prevents it coming out and acts as another barrier beyond the mask that could help prevent droplets from entering the eyes. It also helps prevent people touching their face as much,“ Professor Gray said.

“Face shields are being used in countries with low vaccination rates such as The Philippines to reduce the spread of Delta.”

Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases expert at the Australian National University, echoed the calls, saying face shields were an additional protection from Covid-19.

“It’s another way of protecting one’s airways. They’re not expensive and readily available so for people in areas of high transmission I would suggest a face shield,” he said.

“Basically I think eye protection is an added benefit and way of decreasing your chance of getting infected.”

Professor Collignon, who has recently had an article published in medical journal Lancet, said every protection should be considered.

“With 260-odd cases today in Sydney I just don’t think the messaging is there,” he said. “I’ve seen research suggesting face shields provide an additional 20 per cent protection as the eyes aren’t exposed to spray droplets.”

He said that Chinese studies showed that people wearing glasses and masks had much lower incidents of contracting the virus.