A sneeze guard, sneezeguard, or cough shield is an

acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound * Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity * Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...

or glass screen designed to protect

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

people A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

from the exposure to

respiratory droplet A respiratory droplet is a small aqueous droplet produced by exhalation, consisting of saliva or mucus and other matter derived from respiratory tract surfaces. Respiratory droplets are produced naturally as a result of breathing, speaking, snee ...

s, which are dispensed when

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three pha ...

ing,

sneezing A sneeze (also known as sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. A sneeze expels air forcibly from the mouth and ...

, or speaking. Sneeze guards have been in use in

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

s for decades. With the rise of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, sneeze guards have been installed in public places like

office An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

s and retail stores to reduce the risk of infection through respiratory droplets. In February 2020, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

advised the use of "physical barriers to reduce exposure to the COVID-19 virus, such as glass or plastic windows", which is in line with the advice of the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

, which recommends to "Place a barrier (e.g. sneeze guard) between employees and customers".

Styles of sneeze guards

Freestanding sneeze guards: These types of sneeze guards are made up of a clear plastic or tempered glass panel with a system designed to hold it up. They may be used on reception desks, conference tables, serving tables, etc. A freestanding sneeze guard can be used anywhere on a flat surface. Most are used on desks or raised surfaces. Some go from the floor to above the head and act as a clear wall. Others are designed to partition space form a seated level, like separating tables at a restaurant. Cubicle sneeze guards: These types of sneeze guards are made of a clear plastic panel with a system designed to mount the panel onto a cubicle partition. This type has risen in popularity as many businesses look to reopen safely post COVID-19 outbreak. Many companies have come out with differing versions of cubicle sneeze guards. Hanging sneeze guards: These types of sneeze guards are made up of a clear plastic panel hung from the ceiling at a desired height. This sort of sneeze guard can be customized to fit almost any purpose. These allow the end customer to decide where to protect. It also allows for a larger area of protection. These also tend to be the cheapest sneeze guards on the market. Portable sneeze guards: These are the newest type of sneeze guards made available to the market in direct response to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. It improves upon the traditional sneeze guard by its collapsible design enabling its transformation into an easy-to-carry form. This sort of sneeze guard conveniently transports inside a backpack, briefcase, or similar everyday carry bag. Extending the benefits of regular sneeze guards, portable sneeze guards can be used in schools, campuses, restaurants and cafes, workplaces, or practically anywhere. They provide a highly mobile barrier from respiratory droplets. A portable sneeze guard fills a PPE-gap, further protecting children and adults from airborne infectious disease spread from sneezing, coughing, talking, laughing, or eating.

Types of plastic

Sneeze guards are advertised under many different materials. Most companies sell sneeze guards made of clear acrylic plastic. Acrylic is more well known under its commercial name Plexiglas, and is made of

Poly(methyl methacrylate) Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, ...

. This material is sold under a variety of names. Other commonly used materials are

Polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

, a more flexible less flammable plastic, and

PETG Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, ...

. With growing concerns over sneeze guard use, the New York State Education Department released a memo claiming that certain barriers must be polycarbonate due to the fire code. A line in the memo reads, "Note for installations where the sneeze guard is not fastened to a building element, the product would be considered a furnishing required to comply with MPS S205-13 b. Fire test criteria is required to be approved, "Items of obvious and questionable hazard avoided". Any sneeze guard in New York that does not require installation, i.e. portable sneeze guards, may be made from Plexiglas.

Effectiveness

Multiple studies, including by

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

, the UK

SAGE Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

Environmental Modelling Group (EMG) for COVID-19, and the U.S.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...

(NIOSH) have shown that sneeze guards may not be necessarily effective against reducing the spread of respiratory diseases, finding that they can impede the ventilation of a room, and that the barriers were more effective at blocking particles exhaled by coughs than particles exhaled by speaking (which accumulate around the barrier as an

aerosol An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be natural or Human impact on the environment, anthropogenic. Examples of natural aerosols are fog o ...

), as they were generally larger and had more momentum. A controlled test in the NIOSH study found that taller barriers prevented about 70% of particles from a simulated cough from reaching the other side, as measured via

particle counter A particle counter is used for monitoring and diagnosing particle contamination within specific clean media, including air, water and chemicals. Particle counters are used in a variety of applications in support of clean manufacturing practices, ...

References

{{Reflist Sneeze Protective barriers Medical prevention Scientific and technical responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Disease transmission