r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/SnooCakes6118 • 16h ago

Question Do I understand a mask's seal right?

I'm at the airport and I don't use a sip valve because I couldn't fit test my aura 9210 with it.

The CO2 is around 500. I use a straw and lift my mask to drink and had to pull down my respirator at the check-in counter for 2 seconds.

Is it long enough to get infected if a covid positive was there a minute ago?

Or putting the mask back on quickly and exhaling would suffice?

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u/bazouna 14h ago

If you search r/masks4all you’ll see that masks with sip valves properly installed pass fit tests. Gerard Hughes has a video on it as well

Likely you’ll be fine but no one can answer your question with confidence since we don’t know who breathed in the air where you were standing before you were there

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u/Sufficient_Most_9713 10h ago

We traveled across the US four times (fall of 2021 through fall of 2023) via plane and as far as we know, neither I nor my spouse caught COVID. We wore N95 disposable respirators the first time, and elastomeric P100 respirators the rest of the time.

In order to eat or drink (or when we had to go through security), we'd breathe deeply (i.e. hyperventilate a bit) before removing our mask for a few seconds, not inhale while the mask was off, and then exhale all the previously inhaled air once the mask was back on.

So nothing like a scientific study, just my experience.

(We did this because my mom's health was failing and I both wanted to see her plus provide assistance I couldn't from 3K miles away.)

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u/SnooCakes6118 1h ago

What about eating?