Live data from Hacker News

Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

news.northwestern.edu

11–20 of 185 posts

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#11

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

What if he’s right?

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#12

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

> I'd like to help him

Help yourself by minding your own business.

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#13

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

People who lived though the great depression often had trouble throwing things away, their kids sometimes would inherit the disorder and now we have hoarding television shows.

Prediction: in 30 years a TV crew will follow someone around who needs to go maskless in public for some reason (dental care, kiss wife on wedding day) as they struggle with it.

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#14

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

There's a good chance your buddy has an immune disease or something along those lines. Or knows someone who does.

What's the harm? Especially when long COVID can cause long term effects that can cause professional harm (ie, an existential threat)

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#15

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

"a guy"? I see people like this every day...and I'm one myself. Not outdoors, but when I enter a building.

We don't yet know the long term sequelae of an epithelial infection, nor do we know why about 10% of those infected appear to get "long covid". Why should I risk it when the burden of reducing the chance is negligible?

I also wear a seatbelt.

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#16

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

[dead]

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#17
post #3

I'm surprised this is news after 3+ years. I would've figured this would've been one of the first things to figure out. I'm sure many would've volunteered to be infected and closely studied early on to collect this information.

Intentionally infecting people for study isn't something that really fits with our medical ethics, at least as I understand them.

It can be controversial, but is done: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_challenge_study

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#18

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

I don't wear a mask, but you should not judge. Probably some are people at a higher risk than you are - they might look "normal" and alright, but they don't have to tell you if they have heart diseases, diabetes or whatever.

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#19

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

If there's literally no downside for him to wearing a mask, why do you even care?

Re: Covid patients breathe out large amounts of virus early on

#20

I know a guy who still wears a half-face respirator every time he's in public even for just a second. I think at this rate he'll be wearing it for the rest of his life, unable to accept a new level of risk and move on with his life. I'd like to help him but I see no possible way, he's convinced that I and 99% of the rest of the public are suicidally insane like people who play literal russian roulette.

I get your perspective, but everybody has their own risk assessment and comfort, and yours is no more necessarily right than his :).

Some people still wear masks, some people still take booster shots, some people people still wash their hands, some people sneeze into elbows, some people stay inside, etc. Others may not do some or any of those things.

"Accept new risk" and "this is the new normal" is as validly executed by him as by yourself. (Also, honestly, wearing a mask in public may not be as life changing/limiting as it seems. I know people who haven't stopped complaining about seatbelts for 3 decades now, but it's a habit that doesn't bother me :).

Post reply on HN