Anonymous #1 2w

people with a vast range of chronic health conditions & disabilities are still under really serious threat in everyday life as long as the majority continue to abandon basic mitigation practices while covid is still spreading. in public I mask consistently indoors and in crowded outdoor outdoor areas, but due to my immune issues I’m *still* vulnerable to potential infection. the main issues here are 1) “all-way” vs “one-way” masking and 2) pre-symptom contagion

8

Anonymous #1 2w

1) basically, if someone is exhaling covid particles and they aren’t wearing a mask, it’s very possible for some of those particles to make it through small gaps in another person’s mask because of the sheer volume of particles. that’s “one-way masking”. whereas if the person with covid wears a mask, that limits the volume released into the airspace. 2) with covid, like with many other airborne infections, you’re actually at your Most contagious the day before you noticeably develop symptoms

7

Anonymous #1 2w

this means that if you only take up masking once you already Feel sick, you’ve already exhaled covid everywhere for at least a day during the period where you’re most likely to cause infection in another person. that’s why “just wear a mask when you’re sick” isn’t enough so, all that in mind, people who are capable of doing so should wear a mask in public indoors + in crowded outdoor spaces. preferably a K/N95 or something along those lines, but w/e you can get your hands on makes a difference

6