face masks and face shields completely block the escape of particles effected during the act of a sneeze, but they all effectively reduce the leakage and reach of the sneeze within 1–3 ft. the n-95 mask in the best face coverage in mitigating the spread, because it completely impedes the forward leakage of the particles. the widely accepted safe distance of 6 ft is highly underestimated under the act of a sneeze. researchers strongly recommend using the elbow or hands to prevent droplets leakage even after wearing face masks during sneezing and coughing. wearing masks in indoor spaces reduces the risk of transmission, however it is recommended to evacuate the location immediately where an act of sneeze occurred. effect of vaccination the pfizer-biontech, moderna, astrazeneca and janssen covid-19 vaccines provide effective protection against covid-19, including against severe disease, hospitalisation, and death, and "a growing body of evidence suggests that covid-19 vaccines also reduce asymptomatic infection and transmission" as chains of transmission are interrupted by vaccines. while fully vaccinated people can still become infected and potentially transmit the virus to others (particularly in areas of widespread community transmission), they do so at a much lower rate than unvaccinated people. the primary cause of continued spread of covid-19 is transmission between unvaccinated people.