Coffee Break: Major Nordstrom Markdowns!
Dec. 2020 Update: This blazer is included in the 2020 Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale, on sale for as low as $42.
In normal times, the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale would be starting soon — I'm not sure what they're planning on this year, but they definitely just marked down a ton of stuff.
This sweater blazer from 1901 has been a reader favorite ever since we featured it in our roundup of the best sweater blazers for the office, and both the shorter version (pictured) and the longer wool-blend version are almost 60% off. So what was $109–$138 now comes down to $45–$55. They're available in lucky sizes from XSP–XXL. Nice!
Some of our favorite sweater jackets for the office as of 2024 include M.M.LaFleur (the OG, the jardigan!), L'Agence, Summersalt, J.Crew, and Jenni Kayne. For budget options check J.Crew Factory and Quince.
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Question for the science ladies of the board.
Can someone explain to me the logic of the second wave based on the fact it happened with the Spanish Flu? Other than being very contagious/deadly, I haven’t seen any explanation for why the Spanish Flue outbreak is a good comparison to the current outbreak. Seems like the Spanish Flu affected different groups differently and the world in 1918 was so different than today both in ways that probably help spread the virus (see: lots of international/domestic travel making it very easy for things to spread) and ways that don’t (safer living environments, better ventilation, etc.).
Not trying to start a debate or anything, I’m just genuinely curious what the science behind the comparison is, understanding that it does seem like the most direct comparison to what we have now I just don’t know if it’s actually that close of a comparison or not.
I think the main point is that this is the only other global pandemic that is relatively well documented, so the comparison presents itself, regardless of specific details that maybe different. I am not sure what you mean with safer living conditions – better access to medicine and nutrition maybe?
Better access to medicine, nutrition, general hygiene (we have lysol and handsanitizer), the world is just a safer place (i.e., OSHA exists) so you’re less likely to have an accident that lands you in the hospital, etc.
I agree re: your first sentence that it is the only real documented global pandemic so the comparisons make sense from that standpoint but was mostly asking if anyone in the field actually has looked into how good of a comparison it actually is.
One thing to keep in mind about that flu was that people got sick very quickly after contracting it, so they had less time to walk around and expose other people, which is sort of the opposite of this one.
Thanks, yes, this is the type of information I’ve been trying to find. What are the actual similarities and differences between this virus and that flu?
I’d recommend listening to the episode of the podcast Throughline titled “1918 Flu.” I believe it came out at the end of March.
Right – from a mathematical standpoint, the fact that there is a longer incubation period where transmitters still feel fine and are still “in the population” bodes ill for this compared to Spanish flu.
Infectious Disease doctor here! This is a really good question. There are a number of things that make us think that 1. the Spanish flu is a decent model and 2. there will be a “second wave”. For why the Spanish Flu is a reasonable model to look to, the most important reason is that both SARS-CoV-2 and the Spanish Flu are respiratory viruses so the way they spread is similar. Additionally, there were no effective treatment or preventions other than social distancing, hand hygiene, and masking…which is depressingly similar to today’s effects. Two big differences that mean we should interpret the correlations cautiously, is that Spanish Flu had a strong bias towards causing illness and death in young people, where we see a disproportionate amount of illness and death in older people now. The second difference is that we have ICU care, so our mortality should be lower.
Why do we think there will be a second wave? This has to do with what’s called the reproductive number – the number of people that each infected person goes on to infect. The reproductive number is affected by how many people are immune (for COVID, thats how many people have had the infection and recovered) and how easy it is for the virus to spread. The ease of spreading the virus is a combination of characteristics inherent to the virus AND how many vulnerable people the infected person comes in contact with. When the reproductive number falls below 1, meaning that each infected person spreads the infection to less than one other person, the pandemic will naturally peter out. In many places that are slowly opening, like Seattle, the reproductive number with all the social isolation is right around 1, we have entered the “plateau” phase. When things open up and people naturally come into contact with greater number of vulnerable people than they are now, we can expect the reproductive number to rise. When that happens, we will see a second wave. This is the technical explanation for what caused the “second wave” in the 1918 flu.
Long answer, but does that make sense?
Thanks for sharing your expertise, it’s appreciated.
Thanks for sharing your expertise, it’s appreciated.
Great answer. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this explanation. I really appreciate the time you took to lay that out; it makes so much sense!
Thank you for this!
Yes, I think it is excellent that we have real doctors on this website, as the rest of us are only lawyers or other professional women. Kudo’s to the MD above who is doing her part to contain the virus. I really apprecaite all of the health care professionals who are risking their own health to get us better. Kudo’s! I wonder if we can get a vaccine and how soon? I read that PFIZER is working very hard to get a virus vaccine, so that will be great. I will be on line for it right away when it comes out. I passed up the chance to test for antibodies b/c it is not reliable, and who needs something unrealiable? Not me. I hope to be able to go out again soon, but not before there is a vaccine. No men, no dating, no court, no nothing. If I can do it from home, fine. Otherwise, it’s NO GO for me! I am going to be the queen of social distancing, Myrna says, and she is RIGHT!!!!!!
We are lucky to have you in our midst. Thank you.
Thank you for this detailed answer + expertise!
Question for you! Does the fact that this illness hospitalizes 15 to 20% of people mean that the death rate absent hospital care would actually be way higher than the Spanish flu? Like maybe 10% if there was no ICU care?
From my research, the comparisons are because the 1918 flu is a “recent” pandemic, it was spread by droplets, and it was very virulent. Some medical research states that the virus mutated and was more deadly in the second wave, but this is a theory. There were likely four wave of the 1918 flu, and the second wave likely had the most fatalities. But, we need to view this in the correct context of the time. Medical record keeping, death certificates, and cause of death was very new and not very good.
There was actually a lot of travel during the 1918 pandemic due to troop movement during WWI. Due to the war, many people suffered from malnutrition, so were in very poor health when the virus hit. It is also believed that many people ill with the virus also had bacterial pneumonia, which was deadly.
The comparison between the two pandemics is germane in that there are limited numbers of pandemics. It’s not a given that there will be a wave two of COVID 19 that is worse, but it is widely thought there will be multiple waves. It is also not agreed that the 2nd wave of the 1918 flu killed more people because quarantines ended, and a few articles have come out contesting that recently.
One thing that was different was the 1918 flu killed people very rapidly. A person could be fine in the morning, and dead by sunset. I don’t know if that was due to the nature of the flu or people’s overall poor health, but it’s worth mentioning.
On one level, the comparison to the flu doesn’t even really matter and most of it can be determined by basic math, though properties of the virus, immunology, and human behavior are all important (and haven’t yet been fully determined for this virus, which is where the uncertainty lies). Disease transmission is driven by the number of people that are infected, how easily the disease is transmitted, and how frequently the infected people encounter susceptible people. Unless the virus is eliminated from the population or a vaccine dramatically reduces the number of susceptible people, a second wave is pretty much inevitable. Some of the uncertainties come about in whether we can change our behavior enough to bring the ease of transmission down, if warm weather brings transmission down (but cold weather in the fall would make it worse), how high population immunity is already and how long it lasts, etc.
I think the comparison to the 1918 flu does matter for storytelling purposes. The majority of people are just not that imaginative and relate better to things that seem familiar. An analogy to a historical event makes the threat more concrete for people. Apparently not concrete enough, though.
I have a relative whose father AND mother both had polio as children – and suffered all their lives with limps, etc. as a result — and he STILL posts junk on Facebook about how this is overblown. I just can’t.
I have an aunt who almost died from measles as a child yet has somehow become an antivaxxer in recent years…
I think the older generation has a different perspective precisely because they suffered with measles and polio and other serious infectious diseases. They’ve accepted some degree of risk of death from disease as part of life in a way younger generations haven’t. My parents were both children during the Asian flu epidemic in the 1950s and they both knew people who died from it, and yet nobody went into lockdown. They have the (frankly, understandable to me) viewpoint that everyone just accepted this disease (with a similar mortality rate to covid) in the 1950s, so why can’t we do the same now.
Oh, I completely agree – storytelling is important and the 1918 flu is actually a really good (and terrifying) example. The OP was the one who started with the premise that we shouldn’t be using historical anecdotes to make policy and my point is that the specifics of the 1918 flu don’t really matter. Basic math and theory of disease transmission (validated in the cases of many, many disease outbreaks) get us to the exactly the same prediction of a second wave as soon more people start to interact with each other. If anything, a second wave of the flu was less likely because a lot of people had some level of immunity to the flu already, which is one of the reasons that most of the people that died were relatively young and not as many old people died (we think). Nobody had immunity to the coronavirus, leaving most of the population still vulnerable.
OP here – to clarify, I really wasn’t saying that we shouldn’t be using historical anecdotes, was more just asking how accurate the comparison is. There seems to be a ton of misinformation floating around regarding this, particularly on social media, so just trying to know what the actual facts are! Regardless of what policy you’re arguing for, I think it’s good to understand the utility and limitations of the comparison to the Spanish flu, that’s all.
Okay, maybe, I put words in your mouth! I guess what I mean is that nobody is actually predicting a second wave because of the 1918 flu, and if they were just predicting it because of that it actually WOULD be bad policy. Scientists are predicting a second wave of infections based on everything we’ve learned about disease transmission in the century since then, like that explained by the poster above. The 1918 flu is a good example and there are many similarities, but if we were basing our expectations just one example, that wouldn’t be good science. The predictions come from having observed lots of disease outbreaks that didn’t turn into global pandemics but help us understand how diseases are transmitted and spread in populations generally, and that gives a much better understanding of the likely outcomes in this case. At this point, a second wave in the US is very, very likely unless we can maintain strong social distancing behavior until most people become immune (though you can debate if you want to call it a wave or just constant moderate infection levels- either way, it’s not going away).
I found 3 blue 1 brown videos extremely educational. They did a great one on epidemic modeling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxAaO2rsdIs
Q for everyone: what’s your happy music — the songs or albums that always pick you up? Mine is “Down Under” by Men at Work but looking for more!
So, it’s not happy but more “defiant of bad times,” but I love me some Def Lep and much other 80s metal. Some kid in my kid’s 5th grade class is also into metal and put umlauts over random vowels. It is awesome. Metalheads will never be defeated! It does help me power through stuff I’m not crazy about, which is most of adulting.
Amen to this!
OMG my 5-year-old is obsessed with heavy metal. He calls it “hard metal.” He came upon it from Alexa the other day. He is moving on to hair metal lately though, and keeps requesting “Welcome to the Jungle” from Alexa. It is hilarious, although I had to turn it down the other day so his little brother could sleep!
My 3yo daughter loves “Metal is for Everyone “ by Freedom Call
I feel like this is going to sound super left field, but anything by Jerry Reed. I dare you not to smile when listening to East Bound and Down, When You’re Hot You’re Hot, Amos Moses, or She Got the Goldmine (I got the Shaft).
I love Jerry Reed and am delighted by this comment!
Samba. Anything featuring Stan Getz and Astrid Gilberto hits the spot.
Almost any Beatles.
“What Is Life” by George Harrison cheers me up every single time. Esp the video featuring the ballet dancers from the SF Ballet. Google it. You’ll thank me.
There’s another version of this song that I love! It’s from the Big Daddy soundtrack. Check it out. Great song!!
Old Dominion, the “Carolina Beach Music” Pandora station, “Shut Up and Dance With Me,” “Hey Ya!,” and Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop This Feeling.”
I dare you to play “I Feel Good” by James Brown and not actually feel good.
Now that you’re up on your feet dancing, try some disco. Specifically It’s Raining Men, Car Wash, anything bu KC and the Sunshine Band, some Disco Inferno, Bee Gees, and of course anything by the diva Donna Summer.
James Taylor – Mexico
Soundtracks to college parties from the early 90s. Does anyone even know Erasure and New Order?
I have a ticket to see New Order and the Pet Shop Boys in September that sadly I doubt I will be able to use.
I almost bought those!
In the good news department:
— deferred biopsy is scheduled for next month (and I think that that schedule will stick this time)
— surgery that I have needed since this winter now scheduled for July (and I think that that is a keeper also)
No, I didn’t die without either. But my QOL esp on the deferred surgery has been wrecked (perhaps to the point of compromising my overall health — if I get COVID, I want it to be at my max possible health, which I couldn’t improve much on on my own).
I am getting the sense from my doctors that queues are forming, so if you need to get something attended to, go ahead and call before wait times get really bad.
That is good news indeed! Good luck with the upcoming procedures!
Has anyone has health insurance claims denied because the insurer says they need to know whether you have additional health insurance? Out of the blue, I had two claims denied for this reason and am looking at several thousand dollars in charges that they should be paying but aren’t. I don’t have any other insurance (why would I be paying them hundreds of dollars a month if I did?) and have no idea why this has suddenly come up. If they wanted to know if I had other insurance, they could have just asked me, not just billed me thousands of dollars! I appealed the claim, but haven’t gotten a response yet and don’t know how to prove I don’t have other insurance and am confused about whether there’s something I’m missing here.
I had claims denied for this reason. Apparently they had sent me a form that I had tossed thinking it was junk mail. It took a call to the insurance company to say, “No, I don’t have any other insurance.” Everything was processed fairly quickly after that.
I have no idea why we have to specifically state we don’t have additional insurance. I
We once had an insurance company that would deny the first claim of every year for this reason. They don’t ask until they actually deny a claim because they hope you won’t notice that the claim was denied or won’t fight back.
Yeah, I also had this happen recently and have had it happen before. I just called and said nope no other insurance, and that cleared it up. But I agree, weird system.
Are they for something like physical therapy? Sometimes that can come up if for some reason someone else’s insurance (like if someone hit you with their car) could be liable. I had it when I got PT for my own injury – that’s a type of service that frequently might have someone else’s insurance involved.
I’ve already had multiple claims this year and one was just for a regular doctor’s appointment with my PCP, which is why it seems so strange to be asking about it now- I would have been less surprised if it came up when I first got the insurance or at the beginning of the year. But good to hear that it’s common and easily resolved. It’s just daunting to unexpectedly see that you owe thousands of dollars at a time when everything is extra stressful and dealing with things is difficult- the local medical center has furloughed half their non-medical staff, so the last thing I want to have to do is haggle with them over a stupid billing dispute. They really need to get paid!
They hope you’re too lazy or intimidated to call and fight. It stinks, but it’s true.
Also, my specialists office apparently didn’t get two payments (a known issue apparently?!?) and they credited back my late fees, and my bank credited back the payments. They strongly suggested using paper checks from here on out (what year is it?!?).
Long story short, it never hurts to call, ask, take notes, and make a paper trail. Annoying, but welcome to the US medical system.
Some insurance companies want an annual coordination of benefits form. It isn’t unusual for an individual to have more tan one ins policy. Sometimes both spouses have coverage for the other. Or a child under 26 might still be on parents policy but have their own coverage as well. Once you complete the requested coordination of benefits it should be a simple process to get it paid. Have your Healthcare provider’s billing staff help you.
It’s common. But I’ve heard it taking hours of phone calls and months of turn around time to resolve, so I hope you have better luck than that!
So, in my state I have had this happen when they were trying to figure out if an injury should be covered by worker’s compensation instead.
I mention this morning that Georgia and Florida were fudging their figures regarding COVID infections and deaths. Someone asked for proof, so in case that Anon missed it:
https://www.businessinsider.com/graph-shows-georgia-bungling-coronavirus-data-2020-5
Georgia rearranged the order of dates on the graph to make it look like cases were declining.
And in Florida, the governor told medical examiners to stop releasing COVID death data:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/04/29/florida-medical-examiners-were-releasing-coronavirus-death-data-the-state-made-them-stop/
Also in Florida, the woman in charge of making the data base to track COVID data was let go because she wouldn’t fudge the data:
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2020/05/18/censorship-covid-19-data-researcher-removed-florida-moves-re-open-state/5212398002/
The governor of Florida also decided that COVID deaths in Florida of non-Florida residents didn’t count, no matter whether they caught the disease in Florida or not.
The sad thing is that it should be absolutely shocking that state leadership is deliberately trying to misled citizens about a potentially deadly disease, but apparently it isn’t even noticed by many people.
I commented on your other thread, but it’s been front-page news in GA. The re-released data still suggests a decline, but there’s a 14-day lookback on the data because of lags in reporting, so it’s really hard to know what the current situation is. It’s unlikely that we’re going to see a big spike in cases based on the overall trend, but I think a shallow trend downward is more likely than the steep decline the data within the 14-day window show. Either way, we need to get to June before we’ll have solid numbers for the 2-3 weeks post “reopening.” And honestly, I’m very curious about what we’re going to see in the late June numbers after Memorial Day weekend (although the weather is supposed to be bad so maybe we won’t see mass gatherings).
(I put “reopening” in quotation marks because our original lockdown was so weak and because lots of businesses aren’t actually reopening.)
Thank you for posting this.
When your Department of Public Health lies to you because they want the economy to open, why have a Department of Public Health at all.
This is absurd and awful. What have we come to as a country…
Dad says you can NOT trust most people in goverment b/c they work for other people in goverment who have ulterior motives, or are just plain incompetent. And he used to work for a number of goverment agencies in responsible positions so for him to say this, it must be true. I know that my expierence working in DC showed me that it was true. The men working as lawyers spent alot of time looking at women out the window, and were not busy on their desks doing legal work. The women in the goverment spent alot of time gossiping and looking for the men to date them even tho the men were losers. Since this is my experience, I know there are responsible people in goverment, but they must be few and far between. The ladies on this website are an exception b/c they seem smart, but not the ones I worked with! FOOEY on them!
What’s especially concerning about the non-residents thing in Florida is are they being counted anywhere? I don’t think so but I have no way of knowing. In my state I believe they are only counting deaths within the state, I don’t know how they would count a death that occurred in Florida.
Yeah, and there are a lot of snow birds.
My state’s death count includes residents + people who died within the state (obviously not double counting people who fit both categories).
I’m the Anon that asked for the sources for your statement about Georgia and Florida fudging data so thanks for sharing. I agree this sounds really horrifying. That said, I have been getting my data from JHU and other reputable aggregate sources that take each state’s case and death counts, and generate their own graphs, so my info about Georgia wasn’t based at all on any misleading graphs released by the state govt. I think my point still stands that Georgia has not been as bad as you’d expect based on what happened in the Northeast. Whether that’s due to weather or lifestyle (less public transit, etc) or lower population density or people voluntarily staying home/businesses voluntarily closing even when they’re not being ordered to stay home/close, who knows. I suspect some combination of all of the above.
She was removed FOR fudging the data. She’s not a medical examiner; she shouldn’t be adding in self-reported symptoms.
Another round of Snaps to Housecounsel for recommending the Johnny Was masks. Mine arrived today and I LOVE them. I went for the silk for summer comfort and they feel nicely made. Random patterns – I got one navy pattern, three bright florals (one duplicate but a different section of the pattern), and one white background floral – very flattering and comfortable.
+1 Glad you posted this. Mine also arrived today and I wanted to thank her but wasn’t sure if it was overkill. I got the rayon/cotton ones and they’re pretty, substantial and comfortable. I got two bright florals, a navy, a black and a gorgeous rust color. Thanks, Housecounsel!
Mine arrived today as well! They are beautiful, and not at all like the patterns advertised on the website. That is my only complaint, the fabrics are not was was advertised. Definitely beautiful items, but not the prints or colors I thought I was going to get based on what was shown on the website. I did not order a neutral color pack. That being said, I will be wearing them!
I do wonder how long it’s going to be before we start seeing advertising for mask storage products: hangers, boxes, etc. I imagine people who wear reusable masks are going to have a collection eventually. There is opportunity here for someone to sell the masses a way to store masks as part of their organized life.
Men’s tie hanger?
Same Anon as the OP of this thread — I agree about the pattern selection. Only 2 of my 5 were one of the pictured fabrics – I was really hoping for that aqua pattern in the silk, but alas.
Still a happy customer but wish they’d shown all of the fabrics rather than just 5-6, which makes it seem like the odds of getting mostly the pictured fabrics way higher than apparently they are!
I ordered the floral patterns and they were as advertised if not better.
If anyone is interested in a pattern swap, I would consider ordering them too. I was one of the people who really wanted to, but I’d like a couple of the specific patterns they showed, not random ones
Mine arrived today too! Thank you!! I bought myself the silk ones and I bought 3 other packs as Mother’s Day presents to my MIL, SIL and mom.
Mine should arrive Friday! Can’t wait!
I think we have a new The Skirt.
Omg that is so funny. Johnny Was masks are The Skirt of 2020.
I am SO EXCITED to receive mine! When we return to work, there will be a requirement to wear face coverings in common areas and when meeting with others, so I’m super excited to have something that looks pretty.
I am delighted you liked them! Mine are all really bright and floral. My favorite is mostly shades of red. I may actually order some more to give as gifts. Nobody will know if I take out my favorites before doling out the others, right?
Mine arrived also! I received 4 really pretty floral — navy blue, brighter blue, red, and an especially beautiful ivory one with beige and gold flowers. My fifth one was LEOPARD! Beyond happy with the selection I received.
Has anyone found masks that they can wear while running? I want to be responsible when I run. I try to run where limited people are and purposely change sides of the street, run in grass, to keep distance between myself and anyone I’m passing near. None of the masks I’ve purchased are good for this purpose.
For walking and running, I wear a Buff around my neck and pull it up when I approach people. They’re much more manageable to quickly adjust than a traditional mask, and I don’t touch anything on my run so I’m not worried about my hands “contaminating” my face. These seem to be popular among runners and bikers in my area.
I save masks for indoor situations, which is very rare in our family at the moment.
That’s a solution in search of a problem. You’re inventing risk where none lies.
I’m approaching this from the perspective of “something is better than nothing” (versus “I’m looking for the most robust mask I can manage to make work”) but have been happy with a Buff pulled over my nose/mouth. A side benefit of this method is that it gives me a bit of sun protection as well (I wear sunscreen too! Just appreciate having some additional cover!)
And to clarify, because I just saw the poster above, I don’t pull it up and down, I just wear it throughout the run.
I would not wear a mask while you run. In China someone collapsed their lung trying to run with a mask on (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/man-26-suffers-collapsed-lung-22018788) and there have been other reports of people passing out or otherwise experience negative health effects from trying to exercise with masks on. You are already being responsible when you run if you are doing everything you list. Don’t put your health at risk by doing something that is not just unnecessary but could be dangerous.
I am a huge advocate of masks, and I agree that masks are not for exercise. If a mask is effective, it’s going to reduce your oxygen intake. Just stay away from other people while running. If it’s so crowded that you can’t distance yourself, it’s too crowded to run outdoors.
That really leaves no exercise options for those of us in densely populated areas.
I’m sorry, but this is untrue. I am usually in the gym 2-3 times a week. Obviously that’s not an option now. Fitnessblender has free workouts on YouTube that require minimal or no equipment. I’ve been working out at home, twice a week, to maintain fitness. I get if you were a runner pre-quarantine you would like to figure out a way to run. I was a weight lifter pre-quarantine and I would love to go back to lifting. But in lieu of being able to do that I have figured out other options. Saying there are “no exercise options” for you just because you live in a dense area and can’t run without getting close to people is a cop-out, frankly.
I’m pregnant and have two kids under 5 in my small home already. Brisk walks really are the best cardio option for me right now. I need to get out of the house so my kids aren’t interfering with my workout, and burpees etc are not safe for me right now.
+1. I’m in NYC, and I also run at 6:15 am when it is not crowded. The buff is primarily worn when exiting and entering my apartment building.
Anon at 4:50 pm, I absolutely think that it’s good for people to get out and walk or run, and being stuck at home is not really a great option. I ran almost up until I delivered, and it was very helpful for my physical and mental health, as well as postpartum recovery. So ignore the haters and go out for a walk.
But there are some good pregnancy-friendly workouts. Side planks are highly underrated – try 30 seconds on each side. There are prenatal friendly kettlebell routines. Pilates is always a big hit.
I live in a densely populated area and think its fine for people to run/bike without masks. Lots of people in our community facebook group don’t though…
I’m extremely risk averse and read pandemic news obsessively and truly think there is no reason to wear a mask while running outdoors. Yes you’re heavy breathing but those microdroplets are being dispersed immediately by the breeze.
+1
First responder above. I wear a buff while running as a courtesy and for comfort of those around me. Lots of people get very upset about runners failing to socially distance (fairly, as many runners and bikers are horrible at coming within 18” while passing, regardless of whether it actually will give you COVID, it’s unnerving in general and particularly now). I’m doing what I can to spread goodwill to the running community and show respect to other people out getting fresh air.
I’m high-risk, I care a lot about other people getting this disease and how I can make sure I don’t put them at risk, and I don’t wear a mask when I run. If you’re going in uncrowded areas and staying far from people, all evidence suggests that that’s enough.
Not OP but thank you all. I run without a mask and just avoid people and am glad to see that is still socially acceptable. I can just tell without needing news stories that for me running with one for more than a few seconds would be dangerous for my air intake. I’m amazed when I see people running with one (and it doesn’t seem temporary). Either it isn’t affecting them the same or they have a higher tolerance for discomfort/actual pain than me.
It’s not pain for me, just a horrible, crushing inability to breathe. It’s like having my face underwater. As far as I can tell, the issue is that I have asthma. My weak lungs just aren’t up to pushing that much air with that much force. I don’t wear them out running either; it’s a large space, we can dodge each other.
I have seen (in a Guardian article of May 11) that official U.K. advice is not to wear one if you have asthma.
At all, or while exercising?
They may be running with a pollen mask, if you see a runner that seems to be less impaired by their mask. These are for the wearer’s own protection against pollen, to breathe more easy, and are not meant to shield the surroundings.
I wear a buff around my neck when biking or walking. (I don’t run.) If I’m on a trail and pass someone I’ll pull it up – mainly for their comfort. A few weeks ago, I was more worried about getting it in the open air but after researching it (along with higher air temperatures) I am less worried now. I figure one in a million chance of getting it from a wind-born particle if I’m out without a mask.
I tried a buff, cotton masks and nylon masks and like the buff the best for comfort, but I am sure it blocks droplets the least. My municipality requires masks in public so I wear the buff but keep myself at least 6″ from others, running in the road or at the edges of the sidewalk.
I also took a buff that was originally 18″ long and cut it in half along the diagonal, so it blocks in front but my neck doesn’t get as sweaty in back. This was the most comfortable to run in, but I doubt it blocks much so I rely on distancing while wearing it.
Honestly, I think you’re taking plenty of precautions already. I am pretty risk-averse and will not be wearing a mask while I run. Warm weather running is challenging enough without the extra fun of suffocation.
Caveat: I have never been formally diagnosed, but I suspect that I may have a mild case of exercise-induced asthma, so YMMV. I just know that I have to be extra cautious in warm weather, or I start coughing uncontrollably.
We’ve had a few discussions about dentists here, so I wanted to link to this article discussing precautions they’re taking now, which seems to match what I got in an email from my dentist last week- mine said they’d added HEPA filters for air purification between patients (I doubt they can maintain enough air turnover to completely eliminate aerosols, but in combination with the other measures it probably helps significantly and I wouldn’t be concerned about going to the dentist if I needed to. Haven’t rushed to reschedule my cancelled cleaning yet, though). Article: https://slate.com/business/2020/05/coronavirus-dentist-reopening-hygiene.html
Our dentists offices just opened today for non-emergency procedures. I have lymphoma so my immune system is broken because of that plus I’m doing a chemo that further weakens the immune system. So I wanted to be extra safe. I called and got the first appointment of the morning @ 7a.m. to minimize the amount of aerosol spray in the air, figuring that the previous night’s aerosol germs have died. I had to postpone from June 1 to August 1 but it’s worth it.
I had to do a hydrogen peroxide rinse before we got started. My hygienist said it’s something they’ve been talking about in dentistry for a while but are only now starting to implement universally. She said one of the benefits is that it reduces the amount of bacteria (and I assume other stuff?) that gets aerosolized.
My PS1 purse arrived and I am so excited. It is pink and gorgeous and the perfect size.
I had to google this because I was like, huh, a PlayStation 1 purse? Now I see. Very cute bag!
Lol Thanks! Got it used for $400. Would not pay full price unless I won the lottery.
I haven’t been reading much this week, but just wanted to say welcome back, Sloan!
Thank you! Glad to be back under my favorite name.
Any suggestions for a lip gloss that stays? I LOVED Dior’s Plastic Gloss and can’t find anything remotely similar (they discontinued it years ago). High shine, lots of pigmentation, staying power, no feathering. More for a big meeting or night out than Buxom, my usual go to. I’m hesitant to blindly splurge on something like Chanel or YSL, the E.L.F. I tried doesn’t cut it. Any suggestions? Thanks!