"For most of this spring and now into the summer, cloth face coverings (face masks) and physical distancing have become the new norm in many places. Public health guidelines recommending these safeguards against the COVID-19 pandemic aren’t likely to change anytime soon. These necessary precautions can be exhausting—especially for individuals with hearing loss who may depend on lip-reading to communicate.
Cloth face coverings obscure facial features, disrupting speech perception and the emotion conveyed by the speaker. They also filter speech, making sounds less clear. When it is harder to understand speech—whether because of cloth face coverings, distance, or other factors—research suggests that we have fewer cognitive resources to process information deeply. As a result, communication suffers, and feelings of stress and isolation may increase..."
Check out the attached 8 Tips for Improving Communication When Wearing a Face Covering!
Thank you for sharing National Institutes of Health (NIH)!