Info Value of Masks and other factors to lower Covid-19 Risk while Traveling

[undrwater]

In my area, a ton of money and energy has been spent in coding and retrofitting buildings and infrastructure for earthquakes.

While still expensive and energy intense (at the outset at least), coding and retrofitting buildings for increased air flow and exchange would seem to be a wise investment.

While current COVID may seem mild to some, a future airborne pathogen may be far worse. We should be thinking of such a future, and ways to reduce the impact of that future pathogen, while enjoying the reduced impact of the current variants.

I'm concerned too about crowd management (and ventilation) in open spaces such as sports and concert venues.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Recent research by Oxera & Edge Health in Italy, Finland, and the UK all support the conclusion that travel measures do little to control the spread of COVID-19 when it is already broadly present in the local population. The studies found that, if implemented at a very early stage, travel restrictions may at best delay the peak of a new wave by a few days and marginally reduce the number of cases.

 

[Centrals]

I always wonder if mask has any use on preventing "hay fever"? In my case the pollen in the summer. I do not have to worry about that locally. But in other places/country it is different story.

 

[undrwater]

I always wonder if mask has any use on preventing "hay fever"? In my case the pollen in the summer. I do not have to worry about that locally. But in other places/country it is different story.

My neighbor has been wearing one for just that reason, and he finds it reduces, not eliminates, the symptoms.

He's not using a fancy mask though. Not N95 or similar.

 

[drrich2]

I always wonder if mask has any use on preventing "hay fever"?

Very interesting question. I did a quick Google, and from GoodRx Health:

Can Wearing a Mask Help With Seasonal Allergies?​

From that:

"Key takeaways:

• Research shows wearing a mask may reduce allergy symptoms.
• Pollen particles are larger than COVID-19 particles, meaning masks intended to protect you from COVID-19 are also helpful in protecting you from allergens.
• Masks won’t make much of a difference if you primarily deal with eye allergies."

"How does wearing a mask reduce allergy symptoms?

A recent study looking at a group of nurses found that those who suffered from seasonal allergies had fewer symptoms after mask rules were put into place to protect them from COVID-19.

Specifically, 40% of the 215 nurses studied self-reported experiencing significantly less sneezing and runny or stuffy noses while wearing N95 and surgical masks.

The results of the study are likely because of how masks work. They create a physical barrier that filters the air around us when we inhale. Particles that are too big to get through the filter, like COVID-19 particles (0.06 to 1.4 microns) and most allergens, won’t make it to our noses or mouths.

A standard surgical mask can filter particles larger than 3 microns, while an N95 mask can filter 95% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. Pollen is typically 10 microns or bigger, making it likely that a mask would filter it.

What’s more, wearing a face mask increases the temperature and humidity of the air you breathe, which can suppress a strong nasal reaction."

Since I imagine these nurses mostly wore the masks indoors and only during work shifts, it stands to reason 40% reporting meaningful symptoms reduction while wearing N95 or surgical masks may be pretty good.

But does 'while wearing the mask' just mean literally while it's on their face (which I suspect), or for periods in which they wore it part of the time (e.g.: a week where they wore it at work)? And N95 and surgical masks aren't the same.

 

[Centrals]

It has never crossed my mind to wear a mask outdoor in the summer pre-covid time. Because it would really look ought for the others. But Covid has completely changed most people attitude towards it.
I will definitely give it a try if necessary.

 

[Angelo Farina]

It has never crossed my mind to wear a mask outdoor in the summer pre-covid time. Because it would really look ought for the others. But Covid has completely changed most people attitude towards it.
I will definitely give it a try if necessary.

In many countries, wearing a mask outdoors is a sign of respect for other people...

 

[Centrals]

In many countries, wearing a mask outdoors is a sign of respect for other people...

Pre-covid time? Depend where you were.
After SARS in 2002, there were certain adjustments that we have to observe in HK. Anyone who coughed in public especially on public transport will not go down well with the others. Anyone walked into clinic with cold symptoms will require to wear a mask and have temp immediately taken. Other patients would avoid to sit next to you. So wearing a mask in HK after SARS(2002) would not raise any alarm.

Would I wear a mask outdoors in a foreign country? Depend on the location. But on public transport then for sure.
Confined space.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Pre-covid time? Depend where you were.

I am in Italy. I started using an high quality 3M respirator (the model with active carbon filter) when I was a student and I had to travel frequently by train between Parma and Bologna (1h), in the eighties.
At the time it was still allowed to smoke on trains, and many people started to use respirators (although mostly the simple ones, not those with active carbon filters as my ones).
This disappeared 10 years later, when smoking was finally forbidden almost everywhere.
But I often travel for work in far east (Japan, Korea) and there masks have always been used on public transportation or in crowded places, also outdoors.
In Seoul, for example, they use respirators outdoors, for protection against air pollution (microdust) travelling there from China.
Wearing a mask in these countries is a sign of taking care for themself and for others. Not wearing it is considered a sign of arrogance or of ignorance.
Koreans are very kind, I was often offered a mask when I did not wear one. And refusing it is not nice for them.
All this pre-Covid...

 

[drrich2]

Bit of a tangent, but the issue of SARS-CoV-2 evolving into less hazardous strains came up in an earlier post, and an American Medical Association Morning Rounds e-mail digest had a mention relevant to that:

---

Study: Same level of care required for patients hospitalized with Delta, Omicron​

HealthDay (4/29, Preidt) reported, “If you’re unlucky enough to need hospitalization for COVID-19, it won’t really matter which variant you’re infected with: The same level of care is required for patients with either Delta or Omicron, a new study reveals.” In addition, “this is true even though people infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are much less likely to be hospitalized than those with the Delta variant, the study authors said.” The findings were published in the May issue of the journal eBioMedicine.

---

The article mentioned patients with Omicron were more likely to be vaccinated than Delta patients, though Omicron has more likely to cause breakthrough infections despite vaccination.

Since Omicron spread so fast and far, I imagine many more people have natural immunity now, so judging strain virility against prior strains may be more difficult moving forward, as more people will (thankfully) have acquired resistance through vaccination, infection or both.