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? - eviltoast
  • Jimbabwe@lemmy.worldOP
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    1 month ago

    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.

    • BougieBirdie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 month ago

      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.

    • BreadOven@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      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.

      • Jimbabwe@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 month ago

        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?

        • Enoril@jlai.lu
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          1 month ago

          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

        • BreadOven@lemmy.world
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          29 days ago

          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.

          • Jimbabwe@lemmy.worldOP
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            28 days ago

            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