Health alert: face shield not enough, wear mask-GMA, College of Surgeons
Two medical bodies have asked the public to immediately discontinue the use of face shield without a mask.
The Ghana Chapter of the West African College of Surgeons and the Ghana Medical Association insists the face shield should not replace the wearing of masks as the plastic shield offers no protection against COVID-19.
The two medical bodies say they are alarmed with the increasing use of face shields without masks as protection against C OVID-l9.
“This is a very dangerous trend that must be discontinued by the general public with immediate effect. Continuous use of face shields without a mask by the general public will lead to increased cases of COVID-l9 in the country. The public is advised to wear masks at all times, “a statement issued by the two bodies said.
“The use of face Shields alone (without a face mask) does not give the user the needed protection against COVlD-l9 especially in the light of potential airborne spread of the virus from emerging scientific evidence.
Face shields are now hotcake in Ghana, as the public adopt at it as an alternative to facemasks, which wearing became mandatory in Ghana on June 17.
The face shield, which until recently serves as personal protective equipment in hospitals, has become a favourite at social gatherings, political events and on television, discussion shows in the country.
But medical professionals are warning that it rather makes the wearer vulnerable to the virus.
“Face shields protect against splashes and may be added to a mask. Face shields should not be used as a replacement for masks to protect one against C OVID-l9,” they said.
They also rebutted claims that prolonged wearing of facemasks negatively affects the wearer.
“There have been unsubstantiated reports on some social media platforms about a decrease in blood oxygen concentration as well as a buildup of carbon dioxide when one uses a mask.
“As Medical Doctors (especially Surgeons), we wear face masks all the time in the course of work and no such derangements have been observed. We entreat the general public to disregard these social media reports,” it said.
The wearing of a facemask in public became compulsory on June 17 when President Nana Akufo-Addo signed a new Executive Instrument (E.I 164) into law.
From that day, persons who fail to wear a face mask in public risk spending four to 10 years in prison.
If they escape jail term, they could pay a fine of GH¢12,000 to GH¢60,000, or pay the fine, and go to jail at the same time.
The law is to curb the spread of covid-19.
The two organisations, therefore, asked that the “No mask-No entry policy should be rigorously enforced. A face shield is not a mask. The use of face shields without mask should not be encouraged and must be stopped,” it said.