There is some evidence that N95 masks, if fit tightly and used over a prolonged period by a person (around eight hours non-stop) with existing pulmonary problems, can lead to an increase in CO2 if they don't stop every now and then to take a breather.
We've probably both read those papers. And even that evidence is considered somewhat controversial, as there are other studies (one of which I linked below) that did not find this to be true. Of the studies that DID find such an association, others have commented that the change blood levels are so small that it's unlikely a person would even be able to perceive it (see the fourth NCBI article I link below).
Regular cloth masks absolutely do stop water droplets, which is what we're really concerned about, since water droplets from your breath is how COVID is typically transferred from an infected person. These are not shown to affect your O2 or CO2 levels.
Do you need a paper that states that a simple surgical mask will stop droplets from leaving your lungs, or can you trust that surgeons wear these masks for reasons other than looking cool?
However, it's not a 100% solution on its own, and that appears to be where you're hung up.
Security is about layers. No, the masks will not protect you on their own. Social distancing is part of it. Handwashing is part of it. Disinfecting the things you touch is part of it.
The fact that a mask doesn't 100% stop a virus doesn't mean it "doesn't work". It means that it's just part of the strategy that's being employed to fight the virus, and it's a really, REALLY easy one to implement.
Do not fall victim to the Nirvana fallacy, that anything less than a straw-manned perfect solution is nonviable as an actual, practical, but imperfect solution.
I’ve worked in schools. This does not happen. They can take it off for lunch. They can take a breather in the bathroom. It takes only a few breaths to remove excess CO2.
Which is why you don’t die immediately when CO2 builds up in your system when you hold your breath while swimming and you immediately feel better when you come up for air.
I also have not known any school to force an N95 over some other mask.
You’re attempting to create a situation which doesn’t happen and claim that’s why we should be avoiding all masks. Anyone who is using that specific mask for that long without taking a five minute break every now and again has far bigger problems than a mask.
So... am I to conclude that you find breathing air while in a bathroom to be... dangerous? You hold your breath for the entirety of every bathroom visit? While eating lunch?
Let's not start making stuff up here. If you're worried about people breathing while eating and pooping, then you're in a far different area of concern than I'm talking about.
I am also curious, because it's entirely possible I'm missing it, but where are you getting the calculation that 3 MET can be translated directly into one hour of work? I see the CDC stuff on what it COULD mean, but not what it actually DOES mean in this study.
Also, the claim you made was very specific: that damage would set in after this amount of time. The study does not seem to indicate that these individuals were in any way damaged. Only that their blood content changed slightly. That isn't necessarily damaging, and the study doesn't indicate that it is. That's just you making that claim.
If you could support your claim that damage had occurred with a citation from this study, that would be appreciated.
I would be interested in you doing a way deeper written research analysis of the article you cited and demonstrating exactly which part of it supports the claim you just made.
There is some evidence that N95 masks, if fit tightly and used over a prolonged period by a person (around eight hours non-stop) with existing pulmonary problems, can lead to an increase in CO2 if they don't stop every now and then to take a breather.
We've probably both read those papers. And even that evidence is considered somewhat controversial, as there are other studies (one of which I linked below) that did not find this to be true. Of the studies that DID find such an association, others have commented that the change blood levels are so small that it's unlikely a person would even be able to perceive it (see the fourth NCBI article I link below).
Regular cloth masks absolutely do stop water droplets, which is what we're really concerned about, since water droplets from your breath is how COVID is typically transferred from an infected person. These are not shown to affect your O2 or CO2 levels.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33651109/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600049/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33153145/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7558090/
Do you need a paper that states that a simple surgical mask will stop droplets from leaving your lungs, or can you trust that surgeons wear these masks for reasons other than looking cool?
However, it's not a 100% solution on its own, and that appears to be where you're hung up.
Security is about layers. No, the masks will not protect you on their own. Social distancing is part of it. Handwashing is part of it. Disinfecting the things you touch is part of it.
The fact that a mask doesn't 100% stop a virus doesn't mean it "doesn't work". It means that it's just part of the strategy that's being employed to fight the virus, and it's a really, REALLY easy one to implement.
Do not fall victim to the Nirvana fallacy, that anything less than a straw-manned perfect solution is nonviable as an actual, practical, but imperfect solution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_fallacy
I’ve worked in schools. This does not happen. They can take it off for lunch. They can take a breather in the bathroom. It takes only a few breaths to remove excess CO2.
Which is why you don’t die immediately when CO2 builds up in your system when you hold your breath while swimming and you immediately feel better when you come up for air.
I also have not known any school to force an N95 over some other mask.
You’re attempting to create a situation which doesn’t happen and claim that’s why we should be avoiding all masks. Anyone who is using that specific mask for that long without taking a five minute break every now and again has far bigger problems than a mask.
So... am I to conclude that you find breathing air while in a bathroom to be... dangerous? You hold your breath for the entirety of every bathroom visit? While eating lunch?
Let's not start making stuff up here. If you're worried about people breathing while eating and pooping, then you're in a far different area of concern than I'm talking about.
I am also curious, because it's entirely possible I'm missing it, but where are you getting the calculation that 3 MET can be translated directly into one hour of work? I see the CDC stuff on what it COULD mean, but not what it actually DOES mean in this study.
Also, the claim you made was very specific: that damage would set in after this amount of time. The study does not seem to indicate that these individuals were in any way damaged. Only that their blood content changed slightly. That isn't necessarily damaging, and the study doesn't indicate that it is. That's just you making that claim.
If you could support your claim that damage had occurred with a citation from this study, that would be appreciated.
I would be interested in you doing a way deeper written research analysis of the article you cited and demonstrating exactly which part of it supports the claim you just made.