NPR

France Encourages Use Of Transparent Masks To Help Those With Hearing Loss

Some 10% of the population is hard of hearing. The government is helping companies cover costs of making see-through masks. "It's a protection, but it's also a communication tool," says an official.
Suzy Margueron (seated, center) who advocates for people with hearing loss, likes to gather with friends in Paris' Luxembourg Gardens. All have transparent masks, but say it's others who should be wearing them too.

Suzy Margueron, a retiree in Paris, usually walks five miles a day, so she knew something was wrong when she barely had the energy to make it to the grocery store in the spring. As it turned out, she was infected with COVID-19. She spent a week collapsed on her couch in March.

Even after recovering, the effects of the pandemic continue to create particular challenges for her. That's because Margueron lost nearly

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