Is double masking "THE" solution?

• megs229
• 2 weeks ago

• Wedding: June 2022

@betyl:  i have been double masking since before it was cool. lol anytime I go into a grocery store or anywhere inside I am wearing a K95 and a cloth mask on top. I don’t find it hard to breathe or difficult to deal with at all. I was actually really annoyed when an old woman at the store started yelling at me that i was walking the wrong direction (keep in mind there were no arrows or signs saying we were supposed to go a certain way) and i wanted to respond back to her “i’m doing a better job keeping you and everyone here safe by wearing a double mask while you’re only wearing one than i am by walking in a single direction which likely does nothing in terms of actually keeping us safe so please STFU” but i would obvs never be rude or yell at the elderly so instead i apologized for supposedly walking in the wrong direction (really i just think she was pissed at me cuz my cloth mask said BLM on it & old white ppl tend to get all up in their feelings about it) … to me i see zero downside to wearing two masks and wish more people would do it. i am a teacher and its going to be hard to teach double masked when we return to physical school in two weeks but i’m not willing to bring home the virus to my family and i hope my 16-18 year olds consider double masking but i doubt it … to me any easy intervention that may end this pandemic as quickly as we can seems entirely worth it. i get it that commuting long distances wearing anything feels annoying but to me adding one more mask doesnt seem like a big deal…but i personally run in K95s and most ppl wont even wear a mask walking outside so other ppl seem to be a lot more bothered by masks than I am…regardless take care!!! stay well! 🙂

• sunburn
• 2 weeks ago

“THE’ solution is to get rid of idiots who think that not wearing a mask proclaims their freedom from tyranny. That would include 90% of all Republicans.

• laurana1
• 2 weeks ago

• Wedding: June 2019

Personally, I think everything helps. We know wearing masks helps, so requiring masks in crowded places makes a lot of sense to me. Everyone in my area is very used to masks right now and it just seems normal. If we know two masks are better than one, then people who are more cautious or at risk should wear two, though I don’t think it should be mandated. I rarely go out except for to parks these days, but would wear two masks if traveling, for example. Social distancing is great and I think it’s too early for mass events like concerts and giant music festivals. People should get vaccinated as soon as they can if they are comfortable doing so. People should avoid going out or to events if they feel sick, and I hope this is normalized permanently. I also think people should still get tested if they’re sick, even if they think it’s just a cold, or self-isolate for 10-14 days and inform people they were around the few days before they fell ill. IMO, there is no “one” thing we can do, but doing all of the above in a reasonable way makes all the difference. I have been more lax than many on here but we still take many precautions. In addition to normalizing not being around anyone while sick, I’d love to see masks become a regular thing during flu and cold season, or when traveling. Mine keeps my face warm in the winter so I intend to wear my masks semi-regularly long term because it’s just a good idea. This is also normal in many Asian countries so would love to see it catch on here!

• stateofbeeing
• 2 weeks ago

@laurana1:  One of the positive side effects of this past COVID winter is having almost no flu activity.  How there was so much COVID and no flu, I don’t quite understand.  But I did expect a lot less flu, because the masks and distancing protect against all kinds of viruses, including (by the way) the common cold.  Even post-COVID, a lot of illnesses can be limited or prevented by keeping up some of this, such as wearing masks in the winter when you’re in crowded places like stores or on mass transit.  A lot of suffering, and a lot of sick days at work, are caused by respiratory viruses.

• missinthecity
• 2 weeks ago

• Wedding: November 2016

@betyl:  I just received my second covid vaccination and am still double masking (fresh surgical mask + cloth mask) when I leave my house, but I really only go to the OB, grocery store, and to walk my dog.  I’m super pregnant right now and can still breathe just fine with the two.  Yeah, it’s not super comfortable when it’s warm out, but I’d rather do that than increase my chances of catching covid.  I agree that double masking isn’t the end all be all.  I see too many people at large, maskless, indoor gatherings.  I’m very frustrated.  Thankful that I at least live in a city with high compliance that has taken the virus seriously from the start. 

• daliah12
• 2 weeks ago

I think the only thing that will help, would be to quit living like covid is going away.

 

 

 

• sweatergal007
• 2 weeks ago

I wear double masks for doctor appointments and anything public like that.  Regular walks I wear one.  My glasses slip off double surgical masks so I have do to KN95+ fabric or surgical mask + fabric.  

 

• sweatergal007
• 2 weeks ago

But like you I’m super tired of feeling like others are saying F it and ignoring guidelines. The selfish have spread the majority of the cases and I’m so done with it.  

I’m high risk too so it’s not like I get a choice in being careful or not.  But I’m super sick of the people that act like the guidelines are too hard for them its BS. 

• techmom
• 2 weeks ago

It’s a shame we don’t have better masks available this far into the pandemic. Double masking is a pretty good solution in the meanwhile, along with getting a mask with a nose wire for better fit. You definitely need extra caution in indoor areas with poor ventilation, even if you’re following distancing guidelines. If you’re outdoors I wouldn’t personally bother with two masks. 

Zeynep Tufekci is one of the sanest voices around right now. She is spot on in a lot of her analyses, and is someone whose opinion I trust. She has a ton of articles where she lays down the risks quite clearly, she’s definitely worth a read. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/01/why-arent-we-wearing-better-masks/617656/

• sweatergal007
• 2 weeks ago

@techmom:  Oh wow.  That’s kind of scary.  I read part of that. 

• megm1099
• 2 weeks ago

• Wedding: June 2019

I don’t know – I live in America and I’ve seen people do some DUMBASS STUFF. So dumb that I’m not sure how anyone with a mask on, even two, can be fully protected from those losers. 

That being said, though, if you’re like in the top five spiking countries right now (correct me if I’m wrong but I think those are Brazil, France, Poland, Turkey, and India) – you should seriously take all the precautions you can. 

I think America is finally going down an okay path, but summertime (aka DISNEY AND VACATIONS) will ultimately tell us the truth. 

• rez123
• 2 weeks ago

I don’t think it is the solution or even a solution. The people who would double mask are the same ones who we a a mask and follow the guidelines. I think this is very area dependent but at least here the problems are not public spaces like public transportation or shops. It’s students having 30 person houseparties in their tiny studios. Areas with a lot of low income households and immigrants where the city has failed to spread awareness and are living like covid does not exist. Factories that buy cheap labour but does not respect the quarantine or testing guidelines. People traveling to crowded ski resorts because they can’t travel abroad.