The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said there is no evidence that face shields alone can protect against COVID-19.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The warning follows the new trend of Nigerians wearing face shields in public settings.

The NCDC boss said there is evidence that a face shield might reduce exposure in healthcare workers but not meant to function alone as protection.

“Presently there is no evidence on the effectiveness of face shields for community use by the public.

“Face shields are most important in healthcare settings to protect healthcare workers during processes such as intubation.

“We do not have evidence at the moment that using face shields outside healthcare settings can protect members of the community.

He warned that the use of face shields should not be promoted until there is sufficient evidence.

“Face shields are used in combination with face masks by health workers. However, this is not for members of the public to use.

“A recent meta-analysis published in the Lancet scientific journal of 172 observational studies done across 16 countries and six continents, proved that wearing a face mask protects everyone against COVID-19 and that eye protection could confer additional benefit for health workers only.”