If masks do absolutely nothing (as some folks say, not necessarily on here) why have we been taught from youth to cover our mouths when we sneeze and why can we feel the crud on us if we’re too close to someone when they don’t?
Masks don’t stop everything (particle size and all), but I have an incredibly hard time believing they do nothing. Studies I’ve seen also support what seems to be common sense to me.
Yes, I was aware, but thank you anyway bc some folks may not know that. I got the tix last July and thought maybe by next July they’d be letting in tourists. But not looking likely now! And I’ve kind of resigned myself to not going even if they do let us in bc of the masking. We have business class tickets and nice hotels booked and I honestly don’t want to spend all that if it isn’t going to be a prime experience. Thankfully this was not our first trip to Japan, so we feel okay waiting until the time is right for us to return. I’ve traveled by plane some since April 2021 and don’t mind wearing a mask but for a major trip and a big chunk of money, I’d just rather wait. There are plenty of fun trips we can do as easy alternatives.
And I’ve been dialing back my expectations for summer for the last month. Japan > Europe > Hawaii > American West > road trip to FL. Lol. I have a feeling we will end up in FL!
It’s actually simple physics that mask wearing will reduce (not eliminate) virus transmission. The degree of reduction depends on the type of mask one wears. Lower quality masks offer less (or much less) protection to the wearers than higher quality masks, but they still help protect others to a degree.
If you’re talking about mask wearing on long transpacific flights, you could be waiting for a while. I don’t see airlines dropping the requirement on those routes anytime soon (only Cathay Pacific allows its first class passengers to remove their masks while they’re sleeping, but one can’t even transit through Hong Kong these days).
Some people forgot about the first rule of international travel in the Covid era: have a plan to deal with quarantine and subsequent travel back home.
That’s the kind of occurrence I’m not willing to risk.
I read that article and it implies that the Rings’ problems could’ve been entirely solved with travel insurance, but I’m not sure that’s true. For example, the article mentions they could’ve bought medical evacuation insurance from a company called Covac Global. That company advertises itself as having the only medical transport policy that doesn’t require you to be hospitalized first, just a positive PCR and “medically prudent to avoid member hospitalization.” But they DO require you to be transported for in patient hospitalization in your home country. So it’s not intended for people who have mild symptoms but don’t like their quarantine hotel accomodations.
Also I’ve been researching travel insurance for our possible trip to Vienna in April and it’s my understanding that most travel insurance policies have Trip Delay coverage which can provide you with some level of reimbursement for the cost of food and lodging during quarantine. But again that’s no guarantee that you can quarantine in a luxury hotel.
I agree that it will be a long time and am willing to wait a few years. If masks become SOP for flying forever then that’s what we will have to do.
I am wondering if it by testing everyone before they board a plane could eliminate having to wear a mask onboard. I know testing is 100% accurate…
Out of curiosity, I was reading the Roll Call thread for the January 16 Holland America cruise San Diego-Hawaii round trip. They required negative PCR tests within 48 hours of embarkation. Then they gave everyone a rapid test at the pier - and 12 people tested positive so were not allowed to board. They tested everyone on board three days later - and quarantined several more in designated cabins.
When I look at a table like this, my reaction is that there’s no chance of compelling all airline travelers to wear an N95 rather than a cloth mask. Since there’s so little difference between the infected person wearing a cloth mask and nothing, and for those who are concerned about getting infected the N95 helps quite a lot, I see little medical reason to prolong the mandate for an extended period of time.
From Why Cloth Masks Might Not Be Enough as Omicron Spreads - WSJ
I look at the chart and say, I am going to continue wearing my N-95 mask because it clearly protects ME and I’m not getting on a flight that is longer than 2.5 hours.
That chart makes me think that being with anyone for less than 15 minutes - say - at a grocery store or post office is unlikely to transmit anything.
But we’re staying home for another couple of days. I want to study to be sure we pass the test. Our flight is 4 hours, so hopefully our N-95s will work even if the person behind us is sick.
I researched this very recently. It is my understanding that normal ‘trip delay’ coverage will not help. It is intended for delays during actual portions of the trip - most likely flights. If you test positive and then must quarantine for days PAST the timeframe of the original trip you have a case of ‘trip extension’. This type of coverage is available but you’ll need an additional policy in place. We were able to purchase coverage for 10 days with a $125/pp per day per diem for $113.
We did this by purchasing a separate trip insurance policy but only insuring a very, very small $$$ of the actual trip. Turns out the medical coverage and trip extension coverage is the same whether you insure 10K or 1K.
We wound up cancelling that particular trip and the $113 is ‘banked’ for us to use at any time before December 2023.
Article is behind a paywall…
While it’s an interesting chart…did it take into consideration the type of exposure. Sitting in an office meeting room for 2.5 hours while talking and with minimal ventilation is different than sitting on an airplane with HEPA/MERV filtration. Also, on airplanes there tends to be little talking among strangers.
From SWA site ’ * Each aircraft is equipped with a sophisticated air distribution system that introduces fresh, outdoor air and HEPA filtered air into the cabin every second while inflight, resulting in exchange of cabin air every two to three minutes. We use HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters onboard that remove at least 99.97%*
*Measuring 0.3 micrometers or greater or greater in diameter (the most penetrating particle size test) passing through the filter.
of airborne particles - similar to the technology found in hospitals.’
Now the whole airport experience is different. My plan is to keep us moving…or to find some sort of back corner where others are not.
The table is from here: COVID-19 Fact Sheet: Workers Need Respirators - ACGIH
What it seems they did is take the CDC guidance of “you can be infected in 15 minutes if within 6 feet” (if unmasked) and calculate how much various types of masks reduce the number of virus particles inhaled.
Even if the exact circumstances behind the CDC’s conclusion are vague, that still means cloth masks are largely performative rather than providing a major reduction in the chance of getting infected.
The blog article I cited links to a discussion of the Extension of Coverage issue. He recommends policies that include a 7-10 day Extension of Coverage. This Little-Known Benefit is Important. So it’s my understanding that you can get this coverage without a separate policy if you choose carefully.
I also flew a fair bit between September and December (coast to coast and to/from Europe) and even after the CDC started saying N95s offer much better protection, the proportion of travelers wearing N95s or equivalent was never more than 20-30%. Most people aren’t interested in enduring an N95 for a 10 hour flight so they opt for comfort over protection. After trying to wear an N95 on our first trip to Europe, we made the same decision (though we were in business class so had a decent amount of separation from others).
The risk of infection onboard an airplane likely depends not only on the distance you’re away from the sources of the viruses but also their quantities around you. If you sit in the front premium cabin, there’re fewer potential sources of the viruses. Even if they’re present, they’re more likely to be lower in concentration and can be more easily filtered out with onboard HEPA system. On the other hand, your risk is much higher if you sit close to the source of the viruses in the main cabin. That’s when you really need a good quality mask.
Here is an important warning is you are planning travel to Mexico, as my D found out the hard way (possibly unnecessary surgery and they are refusing to send an itemized bill to her US insurer. They made her put $2000 on her credit card before they would treat her.
