Speaking to Sunday Times, Dr Susan Louw, a haematopathologist at SA’s National Health Laboratory Service, said there were concerns around wearing a face shield in public without a mask.
“Whether it is better or equally safe to just wear a shield, I don’t think that’s been completely elucidated,” said Louw.
“When you’re wearing a mask you’re also protecting your fellow human beings against you sneezing and coughing and transmitting the virus to them. A face shield might allow a virus to escape and infect the person standing next to you.”
The CDC said one of the pros for using a face shield are communicating with those who are deaf or hearing-impaired.
“If you must wear a face shield instead of a mask, choose a face shield that wraps around the sides of your face and extends below your chin or a hooded face shield. This is based on the limited available data that suggest these types of face shields are better at preventing spray of respiratory droplets,” said the organisation.