Mask exemption cards from the ‘Breathing Freedom Agency’? They are false

Updated June 24, 2020

• Is it more difficult to exercise with a mask?

  A comment published this month on the British Journal of Sports Medicine website notes that covering your face during exercise “comes with problems of restriction and potential respiratory discomfort” and requires “balance benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks disrupt exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, president and chief scientific officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people may also experience lightheadedness during family workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.

• I heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Works?

  The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment that reduces mortality in seriously ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced respirator patient deaths by one third and oxygen patient deaths by one fifth.

• What is a pandemic paid leave?

  The coronavirus emergency aid package gives many American workers paid vacations if they need to take time off due to the virus. Gives qualified workers two weeks paid sick leave if they are sick, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for the coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. Provides 12 weeks of paid vacation to caregivers of children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is not available due to the coronavirus. It is the first time that the United States has a federally-mandated, generalized paid leave and includes people who generally do not obtain such benefits, such as part-time and work economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those of the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.

• Is Covid-19 transmission asymptomatic?

  So far, the evidence seems to show that it does. A widely cited article published in April suggests that people are most infectious approximately two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms, and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were the result of transmission from people who still had no symptoms. Recently, a leading expert from the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people without symptoms was “very rare,” but later withdrew that claim.

• What is the risk of contracting coronavirus from a surface?

  Touching contaminated objects and then becoming infected with germs is not usually the way the virus spreads. But it can happen. Several studies of the flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus, and other microbes have shown that respiratory diseases, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places such as daycares, offices, and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from the coronavirus, be it superficial transmission or close human contact, is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

• How does blood type influence the coronavirus?

  A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. According to the new study, having type A blood was associated with a 50 percent increase in the probability that a patient would need to get oxygen or use a ventilator.

• How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the United States?

  The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists had expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate would rise to 20 percent, after reaching 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate fell instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.

• What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

  Common symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny nose and congested sinuses are less common. The CDC has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache, and a new loss of sense of taste or smell as symptoms to watch out for. Most people get sick five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms can appear in as little as two days or up to 14 days.

• How can I protect myself while I fly?

  If air travel is unavoidable, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself. Most importantly: wash your hands often and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. An Emory University study found that during the flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use sanitizing wipes to wipe down hard surfaces on your seat such as head and armrest, seat belt buckle, remote control, display, back pocket and tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or leather, you can also clean it. (Using wipes on upholstered seats may cause a wet seat and spread of germs instead of killing them.)

• What should I do if I feel sick?

  If you have been exposed to, or think you have, the coronavirus, and you have a fever or symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether to get tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without infecting or exposing others.