If I'm stuck in the same area as someone who is clearly sick (runny nose, coughing etc) is there some combo of short/long breaths or nose/mouth breathing that's a better defense against catching it?
If I'm stuck in the same area as someone who is clearly sick (runny nose, coughing etc) is there some combo of short/long breaths or nose/mouth breathing that's a better defense against catching it?
You're viewing a single thread.
As everyone else is saying, wear a mask if you have one.
But it seems like the question you’re directly asking is more about the fluid flow of air in the room. With your suggestion of alternating short/long breaths, you might be imagining that you can blow the germs away and then breathe in the clear space left behind, but of course it doesn’t work that way. Blowing or breathing quickly creates more turbulence, which stirs up the air and sucks in more air from further away—both of which increase your risk. (Reducing turbulence from your breath is the second function of a mask, besides filtering out particles.) In the best-case scenario, the germs are in large aerosolized droplets which will settle out of the air quickly, but only if the air is still—so you’d want to breathe softly and move as little as possible. (And the droplets can still be infectious after they fall, so wash your hands after touching anything as well.)
And the droplets can still be infectious after they fall, so wash your hands after touching anything as well.
And wash your hands after leaving the area as well, because some of those droplets will have landed on your hands.
If you use a public bathroom to wash your hands, assume the sick person was in there earlier and touched the faucets, soap dispenser, towel dispenser, and door handle: get towels first (plus one extra), get the soap on one hand, then turn on the water and wash your hands. Dry your hands and turn the water off with the paper towel, then use the spare paper towel to open the door.
Thank you for addressing my question. I’m aware of masks, lol. Any idea about nose vs. mouth breathing? Nose hairs filter some stuff, but then these aerosolized droplets are in my nose, so maybe that’s worse?
Regarding short vs long breaths, I was kind of wondering if short breaths might limit how much virus material was inhaled. Restricting oxygen flow might be better if the exposure was short term.
But since there's overwhelming evidence masks work and will prevent (most likely) what you want to prevent...why even try something else? Unless you have a condition that prevents it, in which case, I'm sorry and shouldn't assume you can wear one.
Because I don’t always have an N95 mask on my person? Because I can’t always 100% control my environment, but I can almost always exercise some control over how I breathe?
Well, get some covid masks in your bag at all time. Like a lot of us are doing since many years now... Don’t play with your health
Based.
I guess that's fair.
I've just adapted to always having a mask on my person. In a pocket or bag.
But if there is some sort of breathing technique that works (other than not breathing, but sort of doubt) go for it.
I just wanted to state my opinion and I guess my problem solving technique (the easiest and most effective/reliable option is usually best) but everyone has their own, and I understand that.
But if there is some sort of breathing technique that works
The purpose of this post was to try to find an answer to this question
I probably heard most of this from the Magic Schoolbus, so don't take me as a concrete source of truth.
My intuition says that you're at a lower risk by breathing through your nose. How much lower, I can't say, it might be marginal.
The mucus in your nose is part of the immune system. It's designed to trap foreign particles and prevent them from getting deeper into your respiratory system.
So with that in mind, I'd think that blowing your nose after exposure could be a safe bet. But make sure to wash your hands before you touch your face. Maybe after too.