Before we answer this question, it is good to go back to the rules about wearing face protection. Since October 13 it is urgent to wear face masks in public public indoor spaces, such as shops or amusement parks. This advice also applies in education.
Earlier it was already mandatory to wear a mouth mask in public transport, in coaches, on planes and at the airport.
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In places where a mouth mask is mandatory, only a mouth mask may be worn and no other protective equipment, such as a splash cap. Companies, schools or other organizations can require a splash guard. The mudguards are used in restaurants, among other places. But is wearing this just as safe?
We put this question to professor of medical microbiology Paul Savelkoul of Maastricht UMC +.
Mouth mask best protection
A splash guard is basically intended to protect your eyes against contamination via small droplets, the so-called aerosols, Savelkoul explains. “But just wearing a splash guard is not enough.”
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Savelkoul: “Such a splash guard is only useful for people who come close to patients and who run the risk of the aerosols coming directly into the eyes.”
False security
He warns against the false security that wearing a splash guard creates. “People may think that a splash guard provides better protection than a nasal mouth mask, with the risk that they will behave less safely. This actually increases the risk of contamination instead of smaller.”
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He therefore emphasizes that a splash guard does not protect better than a mouth mask. “The drops can get past the hood on your face. That risk decreases if you wear a mouth mask underneath. So if you wear a splash hood, you should always do this in combination with a nasal mouth mask.”
RIVM does not take a position on the mudguards. “There are no standards that non-medical face masks must meet. So there is no requirement for mudguards,” said spokesman Harald Wychgel.
Favors mouth mask
The professor continues to advocate wearing a mouth mask. “It gives the best protection. So wear a nose mask and pay attention to that one and a half meters away.”
Because a mouth mask can also provide a false sense of security. “People sometimes think that they no longer have to keep their distance, because they wear a mouth mask. That is absolutely not the case.”
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