THE FEEDBACK is in from a study that involved handing out 1,000 face visors in Otley.

Retired NHS Consultant Dr Andrew Cobb gave out the visors - an alternative to wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 - over a six day period in May.

The experiment was to find out if people found the alternative face covering more comfortable - with a view to its potential use across the country - than masks.

Dr Cobb asked those receiving the free visors, produced by FlexiPPE.com of Chesterfield, to let him know by e-mail how they ranked for comfort and wearability - and the comments have been almost universally positive.

Dr Cobb said: “This distribution represented an attempt at inoculating about 10 per cent of the adult population of this single town with the experience of wearing this alternative type of PPE.

“The ten per cent response rate is just sufficient for me to be able to say that the overwhelming majority thought this piece of personal protective equipment to be tolerable for long periods, if needed.

“This was a small, though very timely, naturalistic study to see if these cheap, well-made full face visors are acceptable to those who need them most should the Government state that face coverings must be worn when out.

“Retired residents of Otley were overrepresented in feedback, and this group very much preferred visors - though, as law abiding mature citizens, we’re awaiting Government instructions.

“The elderly, young, disabled, scarred, anxious or claustrophobic all much preferred visors to masks.”

Among the feedback was this comment from an Otley Action for Older People volunteer: “I am particularly busy at the moment, shopping/collecting prescriptions and so on. I spend an awful lot of time in supermarkets and, for some of the more frail people, have to take their shopping inside their homes.

“It is incredibly important that I do everything I can to avoid getting this virus so mask/visor wearing is essential. I prefer the visor as I wear glasses. The masks make my glasses steam up so within seconds I can’t see properly and am tempted to remove the mask.

“Also, they make my face hotter, the elastic slips and my ears get sore. Plus, they are more difficult to wash - with the visor I can simply spray and wipe clean.”

Another respondent said: “I feel in a work setting this is an ideal product. I’m a tutor at a college in Leeds and I think for our students and the people we work with this could be excellent.”

Some concerns were raised about how the visors would cope in winds while others said they made them feel self-conscious. Dr Cobb hopes his findings may inform the national discussion about how to best stay protected as the lockdown is eased.