Ok. That's a different angle. And because of your actual experience working in the medical industry, your observations are valued and noted.
You seem to be fortunate enough to avoid the side effects of prolonged mask wearing, but I can say this from a personal perspective that wearing one makes me light-headed and dizzy. I would assume it has this effect on other people, as well? As a courtesy when in public, I wear mine, but as soon as it can be removed, I remove it.
For people suffering with asthma, copd, and other respiratory diseases, it is safe to assume that wearing a mask interferes with proper oxygen intake (at least for this group)?
I understand your indifference to everyone's interest in wearing/not wearing a mask...but my question is...what do you suppose is a more useful approach in handling this virus?
I appreciate the way you have approached a discussion with me very much. with that said, avoiding prolonged mask wearing is different when you are wearing an n95. They basically are a suction cup on your face so five minutes can feel like five hours if you let it because the sensory experience is disorientating by itself. But there is no actual depletion Of the oxygen level taking place.
In addition to this, prolonged mask wearing is not required for anyone. Mask wearing is relevant to hindering person to person contact. So if you are in a car, there is no reason to wear a mask and the parameters have been blurred a lot for this situation because it has been a learn as you go experience, so some people may not know this.
There was a tweet the other day that I found from a doctor that was pointing out the reproduction for covid compared with something like measles, which was a 12. Most states are saying they are about r 1.5ish, which means that you should be able to take off your mask at regular intervals.
but the problem is the public is very uniformed on the subject of infection control. If you look at surveys regarding hand washing, some will say that only 50% of the population is washing their hands after they go to the bathroom. I find this entirely believable after working in a hospital for many years.
so it is easy to see that the public is confused about wearing a mask, but a mask is not actually hindering your oxygen level, especially a surgical mask. A surgical mask is really comfortable in comparison to a n95 and the reason that people wear masks in the hospital, is because they are going to get up close and personal with people who are basically naked under a hospital gown. They are going to get up close and personal to all of their bodily fluids, and if you are not doing this, then you should be able to take a break from a mask at regular intervals
However, even with asthma and other things, it is more than likely the sensory experience that is making it feel like you are having trouble breathing. More than likely, it is harder to cope with the sensory experience when you are idle and not doing anything but letting your mind wander, but this is a bit of an optical illusion. You are not actually losing oxygen, your brain is triggered to worry about your oxygen level as a survival skill.
I have already worn them for prolonged periods of time. It is different when I’m moving around versus when I’m sitting there with nothing to do but think about this thing on my face. I have ptsd and there are things that this triggers, but when you focus on the present and realize that it is just a mask, it is a lot easier. It is no different than when you are a child and you realize the lump in the corner is really just a lump of laundry placed on a chair.
if there was a real issue with wearing a mask for prolonged periods of time, surgeons would object to this considering the lawsuits they already risk any time they perform surgery. In addition to this, I have a personal pulse oximeter in my house and I have tested my oxygen level when I was wearing a mask for an while around the house. It stayed within a range of 97 to 99, which is normal.
people with asthma, copd, and other respiratory issues, are going to tolerate masks differently. Asthma shouldn’t affect whether you are wearing a mask anymore than a regular situation that would require an inhaler. Copd is going to have a different root cause and different degrees. If you are someone who requires supplemental oxygen, then maybe wearing a mask would create issues. If you don’t, then you would just need to determine intervals based on your own level of tolerance. Not wearing a mask around people for a short period of time, is not going to be a major issue, but most people don’t have any experience wearing them in other situations to use as an experience point for when and how to use a mask in a situation like this.
other respiratory issues are also specific to the condition. If the respiratory issue is bacterial, and in any instance where wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time is an issue, you should change your mask frequently and this should be enough to avoid any issues with prolonged wearing. If you are a grocery clerk that doesn’t get to take a break, you should probably bring three washable masks for an 8 hour period and this should take care of any real problem that prolonged mask wearing would create for most respiratory conditions.
it’s not the oxygen level that’s the actual problem. That is a lie trying to make this political. However, bacteria is A legitimate issue. I noticed this the other day when I was in the store. Call it intuition, but for whatever reason, the air felt cleaner and I realized how I took for granted how much bacteria is coming out of our mouths on a regular day. Getting back to normal really means getting back the bacteria ridden air created by a mass of people breathing in the same space.
this bacteria is going to create anxiety too that will make you panic and it might feel like you can’t breathe, but this is really just because you feel uncomfortable. It is no different than when you have eaten onions for lunch and by the end of the day, you might feel uncomfortable talking a lot until you brush your teeth. So if you are feeling lightheaded and dizzy, this is probably because of bacteria in your mask and you probably need to put on a clean one. If you are really concerned that about this, I would recommend getting a pulse oximeter. They are a very affordable and informative device That is good to have in your home along with a blood pressure machine.
there is no reason to be dependent on the healthcare industry when there are some affordable tools like this that you can have in your own home.