Mask wearing today, in America

[Tonks]

oh dear
i hope he is over it soon
you havnt caught it then ? (fingers crossed)

He is feeling much better, though still slightly symptomatic. He is testing negative now, though we are on the lookout for Paxlovid rebound.

I am testing negative, as are our children. I have followed aerosol scientists the whole time and have implemented their recommendations for isolation. He isolated, and we used HEPA filters and N95 masks. Had it not been a record setting cold snap, I would have set up a negative pressure room. Actually did that this summer for my son when he was sick (turned out not to be Covid). Was surprisingly easy to do.

 

[Bijouteried]

Clearly America has not gotten the message ... people vary.

If they did this article would not have been written, and all the hoopla and drama described in it would not have taken place.

There's nothing wrong with being the only one in the room wearing a mask.
Nothing!
And there's nothing wrong with not showing up to an optional event.
Nothing.

Everyone should be comfy, and free from ridicule, when doing what they want.

Well-stated! I wish the majority of people thought this way...if they did, I would not get stares for wearing mask.

 

[pearlsngems]

Another beneift of wearing a mask is that I have not caught any colds since the pandemic began. Neither have my husband or daughter.
No flu, either, but we always get our flu shots -- however some years the shot is not a good match for the virus that is actually circulating. The mask offers protection in that case.

 

[AGBF]

I applaud kenny's lifestyle. I have taken more risks than he has, but worried each time I made the decision to take one of them. I have not yet (to my knowledge) gotten covid, but I fear that the risk will come from someone close to me whom I see un-masked in my home. (There are very few such people; one is my daughter.) I always wear a mask, albeit a cloth one, into a grocery store. But not too long ago I made the decision to attend a wake and a funeral, that was a huge departure from how I have been living. When my daughter got covid, I assumed I would get it, but I did not. I was stunned that I did not.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

He is feeling much better, though still slightly symptomatic. He is testing negative now, though we are on the lookout for Paxlovid rebound.

I am testing negative, as are our children. I have followed aerosol scientists the whole time and have implemented their recommendations for isolation. He isolated, and we used HEPA filters and N95 masks. Had it not been a record setting cold snap, I would have set up a negative pressure room. Actually did that this summer for my son when he was sick (turned out not to be Covid). Was surprisingly easy to do.

good to hear
hope his recovery is continuing well
we were just so tired

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Another beneift of wearing a mask is that I have not caught any colds since the pandemic began. Neither have my husband or daughter.
No flu, either, but we always get our flu shots -- however some years the shot is not a good match for the virus that is actually circulating. The mask offers protection in that case.

same here
we had forgotton what a cold was even like
before covid and mask wearing i caught every thing going just working with the public
also the first covid year closing our boarders locked out the flu and saved lives that winter

 

[MamaBee]

My experience has been, it depends on the mask.
Those 'surgical' masks do not block fragrances, but those do not seal to your face around the edges very well.
Air takes the path of least resistance, and that will be around the edges of a poorly sealed mask instead of through the filter material.
I don't think the filter material itself (of surgical masks) filters out much fragrance.

The N95 I use does block fragrances very effectively.
I've experienced this many times - I take it off and suddenly smell things that I could not smell at all with the N95 on.

But then I am careful to fit it to my nose so it seals extremely well.
I know it is fitted correctly when it is hard to breathe.

What brand mask @kenny do you use? I use a kn95 but I do smell things through the mask. It’s a tight fit.

 

[kenny]

What brand mask @kenny do you use? I use a kn95 but I do smell things through the mask. It’s a tight fit.

I cat take of pic of the box, but when DH gets home I'll ask him the price and website.

 

[MamaBee]

I cat take of pic of the box, but when DH gets home I'll ask him the price and website.

Thanks @kenny

 

[MamaBee]

I’ve had three colds in two months. I wear a mask everywhere..The really only place I have to take it off is when I’m at the orthodontist..or doctor. As soon as they do what they need to do I put it back on. I got my last cold from my grandson...so there’s that..I had to make a choice to be maskless when I’m with my grandchildren..The two year old goes to daycare..His five year old brother goes to kindergarten. I only see them every one or two months..The other colds I don’t understand how I got them.

 

[danusia]

I have been trained since college to wear a mask since I was a microbiologist and had to wear one in the lab in addition to washing my hands constantly. I carried over the hand washing at home and in all those years working as a microbiologist I was almost never sick. People always wondered why (I also stayed away from sick people...why would I want to share in their discomfort and illness).

I still mask and wash my hands as I always have. I have gone away 3 times this year. Once to a company event in Florida (everyone had to take a covid test beforehand) and masks were optional on the airplane. Second trip to the Fingerlakes in NY wine and beer tasting and wore a mask indoors but was outdoors a great deal. Lastly a trip to Vermont (still masked) and 2 days after coming home covid hit me hard. Husband also had it but it was like a cold to him with lots of chest congestion. I had high fever, sore throat, aches, cough, and tested negative 10 days later. Afterwards I developed a stye in my eye which has taken over 3 months and 3 different antibiotics and endless warm compresses to finally resolve (doctor said it is not related to covid, but I have my doubts since three other people I have encountered have also told me that they developed styes after having covid).

So I will still continue to wear a mask and have declined staying at other peoples' homes and am not entertaining overnight guests. Get togethers have been at restaurants and other venues and my family and friends are just fine with that.

 

[LLJsmom]

People should be allowed to wear or not wear a mask. It baffles me why anyone cares if someone else takes precautions about their health. Each person is entitled to make their own choice with judgement or comment.

 

[kenny]

What brand mask @kenny do you use? I use a kn95 but I do smell things through the mask. It’s a tight fit.

FWIW, I answered in a new thread ...

Tell us about the masks you use

These are our current N95s. Hubby-poo bought them at Costco a while back. They came in a box of 100 (5 boxes of 20) for $100. I have no idea whether one buck is a good price now, or when he bought them, but I'd say my life is worth a buck. I hate that counterfeit N95s and KN95s are for sale...

www.pricescope.com