Beach sneezes: Empiricism beats the hell out of opinions!

fxop · Joined: 13 Jun 1998 Posts: 202

I believe we should be masking when rigging. Science aside, it's the "optics". The science is not settled but how the States, counties, and cities who control our access is there for all to see and it would be better not to give them an excuse to close back up.

fxop

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

windfind · Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

Things aren't always what they seem. We have to remember that it's allergy season. Let's not get too carried away with gloom and doom.

TheItalianJobber · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 121

...this is a good thread.

Thank you isobars and windfind. Goiters and masks will be!
If not for 150% protection even just for optics, as fxop pointed out, and in both directions: to show we aren't reckless risk seeker, but also to 'remind' people that there's still a problem in the air and they might wear one too.

Granted the problem could be allergies, but who wants to take a risk of an asymptomatic virus carrier with allergies sneezing upwind?
Very Happy

windsrf · Joined: 01 May 1998 Posts: 464

Agree re value of thread.

Just got commitment to reopen Pt. Isabel Shoreline Park on June 1st.

Have been discussing possible value in wearing masks while rigging, in spite of fact that we have plenty of rigging space, on shore breeze in our face, "general public" somewhat removed, no more off-leash dogs (presumably), etc.

Already suggested that for "optics" alone, might be best approach to mask up.

Got the park reopened for two days at end of March only to be slammed closed again due to management perceptions re crowding and lack of physical distancing - and the Health Order citing "dog parks must be closed".

Worth some behavioral mods to avoid that this time around.

Thanks, David

Goodwind · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 323 Location: On water

The evaluation of opinion on mask wearing is amazing. Early on when hospitals didn't have enough masks, the experts' advice was that you don't need one if you are not a healthcare professional; it would do more harm than good to wear it because you may accidentally touch you face after touching the virus filled mask. Hmmm, if the mask could protect the healthcare workers, why couldn't it protect you? And where would the viruses be if the mask was not on your face? No one thought of that? After evidence supporting presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission came to light, there was a change of tune from the experts. Exercise the noble act of wearing a mask to protect others but not yourself.

Really? wearing a mask, having a layer of barrier, give you ZERO benefit? Now we have a scientific hamsters study on COVID-19 transmission to confirm my long suspicion that wearing mask DOES protect the wearer.

The article:
"The study, which the Hong Kong team calls the first of its kind, used hamsters in two cages; one group of hamsters infected with Covid-19 and the other healthy. The researchers created three different scenarios: mask barriers placed just on cages with the infected subjects, masks covering the healthy subjects, and one with no mask barriers at all, with a fan between the cages allowing particles to be transmitted between them. With no mask barriers at all, two-thirds of the healthy hamsters — 66.7% — were infected with the virus within a week, the researchers found. When the mask was placed over the infected cage, however, that infection rate dropped to 16.7%. The infection rate went up to 33% when the mask barrier was only used to cover the healthy hamsters’ cage. The hamsters who were still infected despite having the mask barrier also had less of the virus in their bodies compared to those infected without the masks, the researchers found."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/19/coronavirus-wearing-a-mask-can-reduce-transmission-by-75percent-new-study-claims.html

The study implied that if an infected person is wearing a mask, it reduces the infection rate by 50%. If a healthy person is wearing a mask, it reduces the infection rate by 33.7%. On top of that, if you are infected, wearing mask reduces your viral load, giving your body a better chance of fight off the disease. Of course, the choice is yours.

bprice · Joined: 21 Oct 2000 Posts: 138

I just got a neck gaiter about 3 weeks ago and really like it for 2 reasons. Love how it keeps the sun off my neck and lower face so I can use less sunscreen there. Works great with the hat and full body covering I'm already wearing. I've already had 1 face MOES procedure so more protection is better. And it's nice to have the option to pull it up over the nose for added protection when around people... especially on the crowded holiday weekends.