Less protective plastic visors, study finds

The visor lets particles through, according to researchers at the University of Florida -

Comfort is not synonymous with protection.

Plastic visors and valve masks are insufficient to block the spread of Covid-19, according to a study by researchers at the University of Florida published on Tuesday.

Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - the main US federal agency for public health protection - have ensured that visors and masks equipped with a ventilation or valve are not recommended because their protection is not sufficiently effective.

Research from the University of Florida confirms that particles can be thrown despite the plastic visor.

Swiss hotel workers infected despite their visors

"The masks act as filters and capture the droplets and all the other particles that we expel," said Siddhartha Verma, assistant professor in the department of oceanic and mechanical engineering at Florida Atlantic University, quoted by the 

.

The study used visual and laser simulations to prove that such equipment was not the most effective way to prevent the coronavirus.

While a visor can be a good option in some cases and is more comfortable, the study specifies that a surgical mask, or even a cloth, provide more protection.

As the work highlights, employees of a Swiss hotel were infected with Covid-19 despite their visors.

Their colleagues who wore classic masks were protected.

In general, the experts at Florida Atlantic University are categorical: having a visor is always better than having nothing on your face, but some protections are more effective than others.

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