Not Wearing Mask Outdoors

[Anonymous]

I know 4 people that had it.

- 1 died, elderly relative in their late 80s with diabetes
- 1 (late 40s) recovered fully in 2 weeks, said it was like the flu
- 2 (both in 60s) said it was like having mono. A little sluggish after 3-4 weeks, but 95% back to normal

ALL got it in close, prolonged contact with another person. It's absurd to think you can catch covid from passing someone on a path without a mask. With the numbers, it's just not possible. And there's no evidence or known positive cases whatsoever.

Don't huddle with people not in your household, both indoors or outdoors, especially for a period of time. Mask in closed air systems, like buildings and businesses. Outside? Not an issue. The anxiety is likely to be a bigger stressor for your health.

If you are elderly or have serious health issues, then yes please take extra precautions. The rest of us? I mean don't try and get it and be reasonable about things, but if you get it, you will almost certainly be fine, just have a couple of crappy weeks at home.

[Anonymous]

My physician said you have to be in close contact for x many minute ( I don’t remember right off the top of my head.

[Anonymous]

So, all the people in Asian countries who wear facemasks outside - and have contained the virus - are just hysterical martyrs?

Good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the person/people on here asking for confirmation of any cases from brief sidewalk contact - why? Are you epidemiologists? Have you just ignored the hundreds of scientists who have explained countless times in the media why we should all be wearing masks whenever we leave home? Is wearing a mask that difficult? I get that kids don’t like them but none of us have ever done this before. The kids (and adults) are going to have to figure out how to make some changes. Almost every news outlet has stories with actual epidemiologists PLEADING with people to understand why we need mask compliance. Why aren’t you listening? I honestly do not get it.

Actually the director of my state health dept (state with mandatory masks inside and high rate of compliance) and Dr Fauci said they always take a mask when leaving the house but only put it on if there are other non-household people in close proximity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two types of people:

1 - "I don't have to wear a mask any time I'm not at home because it's probably not going to protect me anyway"

2 - "We don't know everything about this virus, but we do know that masks prevent community spread, so I'll wear this mask when I'm not at home to protect myself and others"

It's not hard to care about other people.

There you have it, people who only see it as black/white, do or don't do. Don't touch anything, sanitize everything, don't do anything, don't go anywhere, mask always even in your car. Or go out, hug everyone, party everywhere, never wear a mask, and lick doorknobs.

There's a lot of healthy, reasonable, rational, middle ground.

It's just about caring about other people. Wearing a mask is about protecting others. That's not a radical idea.

No, it just makes you feel like a martyr. In reality, it's utterly pointless outside.

NP here. Wearing a mask outside does not make me feel like a martyr! I barely notice it. You’re being so dramatic!

Another new poster, do you walk two miles on sidewalks completely empty of other people in 90 degree weather to get your groceries. I do. It sucks and I would definitely feel like a martyr if I was wearing a mask. If there is no one around, how am I benefiting other people. I'm only making myself suffer for no benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the person/people on here asking for confirmation of any cases from brief sidewalk contact - why? Are you epidemiologists? Have you just ignored the hundreds of scientists who have explained countless times in the media why we should all be wearing masks whenever we leave home? Is wearing a mask that difficult? I get that kids don’t like them but none of us have ever done this before. The kids (and adults) are going to have to figure out how to make some changes. Almost every news outlet has stories with actual epidemiologists PLEADING with people to understand why we need mask compliance. Why aren’t you listening? I honestly do not get it.

I don't get why you insist on passing someone on the sidewalk close up in a pandemic? Can you explain that?

If we were in a park or trail where it's not always possible to be 6 feet away we wear masks. But the only place we are going these days with sidewalks is our neighborhood. We are five months into this and I go on walks a few times a day in my hood. Never, not once, have I been forced to be less than 6 feet away from someone. If I/we see someone coming, I simply move out into the street or cross the street. It's not that hard!

You apparently live in bumf*ck, nowhere, sweetie, but this is DC Urban Moms, and most of us live in the city, here you can’t avoid people when you set foot outside your house. So if you ever come to the big city, mask up, darling, or you’ll get called out, and not politely.

No, "most of us" don't live in the city, and DC isn't a big city anyway. Darling? Are you able to have a civilized argument without condescension? Or are you under the impression is makes you more convincing? It doesn't.

Well, it got under your skin, pet. That’s enough for me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, all the people in Asian countries who wear facemasks outside - and have contained the virus - are just hysterical martyrs?

Good to know.

Are American suburbs the same population density as Asian cities? 🤔🤔🤔

Wiki is your friend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, all the people in Asian countries who wear facemasks outside - and have contained the virus - are just hysterical martyrs?

Good to know.

Density is an issue.

If you are in a populated urban area and/or can't maintain spacing, you should wear a mask even if outside. That has been said over and over again in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is not once single case in the entire world of covid being transferred passing someone on a sidewalk. No mask.

If you're huddled and staying close to people outside, yes, not a bad idea.

But just a pass of someone? Totally and completely unnecessary.

No one can possibly know if covid was transferred by an umasked person on the sidewalk. Why wouldn’t this highly contagious virus be transmitted with one sneeze outside?

Better safe than sorry. Plus it’s easier for my kids to accept “always” rather than “sometimes”. We are all masked anytime we leave our yard or house.

Of course it can be traced - if one highly infectious person is walking and passing people, surely a couple of people will get infected. They ask where they've been lately, and this would be their commonality. I get that tracing isn't happening often, but if there is not ONE SINGLE CONFIRMED CASE in ANY city, ANY county, ANY state, or ANY country? It's not happening. And all data points to viral load + time being a major, major concern. Someone would have to sneeze directly into your mouth for this to happen. Don't let other people sneeze directly into your mouth.

You can be cautious, and then there's being irrational against all evidence. This is the latter. Clustered and huddled outside? Sure, mask up. An incredibly brief pass? Pretty much impossible.

Did you even try to google this before the all caps assertions? Much less common? Absolutely! But yes there are documented cases of outdoor transmission!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/healthcare/494348-new-study-finds-few-cases-of-outdoor-transmission-of-coronavirus-in-china%3famp

[Anonymous]

“ Study of 318 outbreaks in China found transmission occurred out-of-doors in only one, involving just 2 cases. ”

Not much...and isn’t China one of those cultures with a different notion of personal space?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all the people in Asian countries who wear facemasks outside - and have contained the virus - are just hysterical martyrs?

Good to know.

Are American suburbs the same population density as Asian cities? 🤔🤔🤔

Wiki is your friend!

Asian cities have suburbs too, PP. All are masked.

I guess high school wasn’t your friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, all the people in Asian countries who wear facemasks outside - and have contained the virus - are just hysterical martyrs?

Good to know.

It seems on this thread most are pro-mask. But they are saying that they only wear masks in dense areas or when inside a building (dense or not). When I see pictures of people in Asia wearing masks, it is always in the subways, crowded city streets, etc.

I think for that for several years, masks will be common in the cities of America. I'm certainly planning on it. I'm sure years from now, when the virus is more under control, we have vaccines and therapeutics, and we are starting to move on, I will be more than happy to wear a mask on the metro etc.

But what most of us are talking about are not wearing masks in our suburban neighborhoods, when we don't come within 10 feet of other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate masks. We 100% mask up indoor or when near others for prolonged period of time (e.g., in line outside for store). But not outdoors when we're taking a walk, for example. Reading various studies, it looks like outdoor transmission is almost zero (can never prove that something is totally zero).

Am I wrong?

Kids hate homework, cleaning their room, washing dishes and many other things. Tough. You are the parent and you tell them to wear the mask or stay inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is not once single case in the entire world of covid being transferred passing someone on a sidewalk. No mask.

If you're huddled and staying close to people outside, yes, not a bad idea.

But just a pass of someone? Totally and completely unnecessary.

No one can possibly know if covid was transferred by an umasked person on the sidewalk. Why wouldn’t this highly contagious virus be transmitted with one sneeze outside?

Better safe than sorry. Plus it’s easier for my kids to accept “always” rather than “sometimes”. We are all masked anytime we leave our yard or house.

Of course it can be traced - if one highly infectious person is walking and passing people, surely a couple of people will get infected. They ask where they've been lately, and this would be their commonality. I get that tracing isn't happening often, but if there is not ONE SINGLE CONFIRMED CASE in ANY city, ANY county, ANY state, or ANY country? It's not happening. And all data points to viral load + time being a major, major concern. Someone would have to sneeze directly into your mouth for this to happen. Don't let other people sneeze directly into your mouth.

You can be cautious, and then there's being irrational against all evidence. This is the latter. Clustered and huddled outside? Sure, mask up. An incredibly brief pass? Pretty much impossible.

Did you even try to google this before the all caps assertions? Much less common? Absolutely! But yes there are documented cases of outdoor transmission!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/healthcare/494348-new-study-finds-few-cases-of-outdoor-transmission-of-coronavirus-in-china%3famp

PP is referring to transmission in the amount of time it takes to pass someone, not evidence for outdoor transmission generally.

When the CDC does contract tracing, they are looking for close contacts defined as someone within six feet of the case for at least 15 minutes, 48 hours before that person displayed symptoms. There’s a reason for this criteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate masks. We 100% mask up indoor or when near others for prolonged period of time (e.g., in line outside for store). But not outdoors when we're taking a walk, for example. Reading various studies, it looks like outdoor transmission is almost zero (can never prove that something is totally zero).

Am I wrong?

Kids hate homework, cleaning their room, washing dishes and many other things. Tough. You are the parent and you tell them to wear the mask or stay inside.

It’s not necessary to wear a mask outdoors when you are keeping well away from others. Don’t fight an unnecessary battle. Reserve your force for indoor environments or when you are unable to maintain your spacing.