I thought masks were meant to protect others from you, not you from others?

---

Strava

I wouldn't go to the gym.

Both.

False. An N95 medical mask protects you. A “high end” cloth mask on your face does not protect you. If others are wearing them that probably helps protect you. But a cloth mask doesn’t protect you.

Purely anecdotal but....I've been treating Covid+ positive patients for a few months, typically 3-4 days a week, now as a therapist. As you can imagine, I spend a good bit of time in the room with the patient and get up close and personal when assisting with transfers and mobility tasks. I am tested twice a week and haven't had any positive tests. I wear a N95 mask and at times, a surgical mask over the N95.

As I said it's anecdotal, but it certainly speaks to the effectiveness of PROPER masks that I have been working with Covid+ patients, in close proximity, and for extended durations of time with no spread to myself.

This is why I prefer the term "face covering" for cloth "masks." I took the OP's "high end protective mask" to mean something like an N95. I don't know what a "high end cloth face covering" is. Though I might have been wrong in that interpretation of the OP.

That said, there is also evidence and plenty of "expert opinion" that even cloth face coverings may protect your from droplets from those around you to some significant degree. Though I agree the primary utility is thought to be source control. I think the main reason they're advertised mostly for source control purposes is because for them to be good at protecting the wearer, they have to be worn and stored very carefully. And the though is that the general public simply aren't going to learn effective medical-grade mask-wearing practices.

Yea for sure it’s probably better than nothing.

Best bet would be to get a P100 respirator. You are going to look pretty awkard, but N95 masks let in 5% particle level assuming it seals perfectly. P100 is going to capture airborne and aerosolized oil particles at a rate of 99.99%. That is a huge difference. Of course there is some particle size importance that comes into play. Still can't buy P100 respirators as is, but you can buy a regular 3m respirator and then buy the P100 cartridges that make it P100. You could even go full crazy and get the full-mask with faceshield. This would be gold standard.

---

---

Save: $50 on Speed Hound Recovery Boots | $20 on Air Relax| $100 on Normatec| 15% on Most Absorbable Magnesium

Blogs: Best CHEAP Zwift / Bike Trainer Desk | Theragun G3 vs $140 Bivi Percussive Massager | Normatec Pulse 2.0 vs Normatec Pulse | Speed Hound vs Normatec | Air Relax vs Normatec | Q1 2018 Blood Test Results | | Why HED JET+ Is The BEST value wheelset

M50 Joint Service Gas Mask, 700 bucks brand new. The rest of the stuff where you can't get a seal? P100 is a smart idea for sure.

https://www.galls.com/avon-fm50-full-face-mask-system

---

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Well an N95 is what Ive been wearing to intubate covid patients for the last 6 months so it’s probably good enough for the gym 😂. Your descriptions were really good tho.

I've been managing COVID patients in hospital since March. When PPE was low, I only used N95 with aersolizing procedures (bipap, intubation, etc.). For my patients on nasal cannula or room air, I wore a surgical mask (also goggles). I've been tested multiple time, including antibodies, and have been negative. One of my hospitals (hardest hit in my area) was severely short of PPE for a long period. Staff on COVID unit (non-ICU) was limited to surgical mask, face shield/goggles, gloves and washable gowns. I am not aware of any staff contracting COVID from patient.


When I go to the gym (and most places indoors), I wear a surgical mask until I get to pool or treadmill. I think N95 is excessive unless circulation is poor and/or you can't maintain distance. In those cases, I wouldn't go. This is a nice contact tracing study done in Korea with gym (transmission with group class with high intensity activity) https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/...26/8/20-0633_article

I was using a cloth mask at first but it was difficult to breathe with while working out, also heard this was an issue with N95 masks. Picked up a running face mask that has carbon filters and exhale valves. A lot of people wear masks at the gym except HS kids and 20 somethings, and this seems to be the group that is leading the rise in infections.

Yea an N95 and the respirator mentioned above would make it extremely difficult to work out. It’s hard climbing a couple flights of stairs wearing one. But the seal is the key for protection.

Those masks are pretty useless.
Cloth masks aren't meant to protect user and exhalation valve don't protect those around you. Also, carbon only helps with smell.

Just a question, as where I live almost no one wears a mask to train outdoors and indoors, I only go to the pool where you cannot swim with a mask, but if you where a mask that you can exhale through, I assume that protects no one?

Black and white answers like this are causing a lot of confusion and are a bad idea in my opinion. It's all about risk and pretty much everything has an impact, it's a question of degree. Oversimplifying it has lead to huge swathes of the population thinking they're experts when they actually know almost nothing, and the rest just being either confused or just not caring.

Anything in front of your face that will catch some particulate will help protect others at least a little. But really it needs to be a reasonably effective filter media, without big gaps for air to bypass it, any handled/washed/replaced appropriately to provide really reliable protection. however this sort of mask and training is not realistic on a global scale. Simple surgical masks are more realistic. They are more comfortable, cheaper, and quickly manufactured. They are a long way from total protection, but high levels of use in the community will significantly impact infection rates and suppression of infection at a community level is the best protection. Even a mask that is hypothetically only 50% effective when worn by an infected person and 30% effective when worn by someone in their vicinity, produces a 65% reducing in the chances of infection when both parties wear a mask. Those numbers may not be spot on but they demonstrate that 100% protection is not needed to dramatically impact community infection rates if mask wearing compliance is high.
Back to the OP, and if rates in your area are high, the best thing to do would be avoid the gym. That's what I'd do.

https://www.cbsnews.com/...-a-mask-study-shows/

I said a cloth face covering is probably better than nothing, but it certainly shouldn’t be considered protective for the wearer. A face covering worn by others probably helps reduce transmission. N95 or better is the gold standard of what is considered protective. This is all we know. That is the correct black and white answer. There should be zero confusion about this.

I think Ai_1 really covered the entire situation with common sense. All the black and white positions is what leads to the conflicts and people engaging in high risk activity "just because" or others wearing masks (solo runs around zero humans), just to make a point.

Minimally, covering up with 'whatever' around others will marginally help ourselves and help others. The better the cover up the better the impact. When not around others, no need to wear anything.

Does that make sense. People in Asian societies have been doing this FOREVER and look how well they are doing. My colleagues in Japan and Taiwan, just kept working with no breaks the entire time albeit with many restrictions, but at least they managed to relatively safely keep their societies functioning like pre Covid19

Yea we are all saying the same thing are we not? Not sure what the problem is. It’s black and white what protects you and what doesn’t. Certainly what you choose to do is up to you. I can only speak to what I know, which is that in the medical community anything less than an N95 or better isn’t considered protective. I was just stating that. You shouldn’t feel protected by a cloth face covering because you’re not. You should still wear one. But it’s not for your protection.

It has exhale valves like a 3M cartridge respirator, so if I’m infected and don’t know it, then yes I will be spreading it. It also provides a better seal than the surgical (non-N95) mask previously used. My choices are: don’t go to the gym, go but don’t wear a mask, or go and wear a mask I can workout with. Like many of us I avoided the gym and pool for months, but have returned. Just trying for the best option to get back on with life in the coronavirus era.

I was wearing my Ten Junk Miles bLuff at first, until cloth masks became readily available at Target or WalMart or so on

I could never get the bLuff to fit well enough; always seemed to be slipping around

ETA: Masks are required at all times in our gym, but there still aren't that many people around at any one time to affect anyone one way or the other

We have been super-diligent about cleaning off the equipment, to the point where we're carrying around ZipLocs with disinfecting wipes and wiping down every handle, knob, seat and pad before AND after each use

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Anyone seen the U Mask? I see the F1 teams using it and it seems really nice.

https://u-maskstore.eu/

Kind of expensive the tech looks good and if a mask in public is here to stay.....

So all those construction guys have been wearing N95's for years for nothing?