Natural infection control experiment

[Not_a_Number]

We recently had a test of how well our safety precautions work with respiratory illnesses (not with COVD, but still.) 

We had a co-op meeting last week. The meeting was outside and everyone masked, but mask use was definitely "real life use" and not "optimal use" -- lots of kids had their noses hanging out of their masks. 

As it turned out, the day after the meeting, some people in our group started developing a bad cold. They had shared indoor spaces with people two days before the meeting, and everyone they had spent time with indoors got the same cold at about the same time as they did. 

No one our at co-op meeting got sick, despite the kids playing closely together for hours. I found it very encouraging and wanted to report. I know it's not about COVID, but I thought it was interesting. (I've also found it interesting that we've been going to playgrounds all the time for the last 3.5 months, and we still haven't picked up a single cold. One stomach bug for DD5, but that's it.) 

[freesia]

Were the indoor people masking when indoors?

Thanks for sharing your experience. That’s encouraging. 

[Not_a_Number]

3 minutes ago, freesia said:

Were the indoor people masking when indoors?

Thanks for sharing your experience. That’s encouraging. 

No, not masked indoors. (They are vaccinated and tested for COVID before.) Very good point. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[chocolate-chip chooky]

We had a similar encouraging situation a couple of months back.

A cold went through my daughter's dance community. At the time there was no Covid in our state at all (double donuts, as they say), so no masking or distancing was happening at the dance classes. It was indoors, lots of people, lots of heavy breathing.

Over a couple of weeks, the cold worked its way through the group. But not my daughter, who masks everywhere she goes, all the time, because we have a high risk family member.

It was very encouraging to see how effective her masking was. It's just triple layer cotton. I add a filter if there's any Covid in our state, but at that point in time, she was just using the unfiltered mask.

It wasn't Covid (and it wasn't delta), but it was encouraging!

 

PS I realise your story was related to the benefits of outdoors, but thought I'd share an encouraging mask story.

Edited August 29, 2021 by chocolate-chip chooky

[KSera]

52 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

 

PS I realise your story was related to the benefits of outdoors, but thought I'd share an encouraging mask story.

I appreciate you sharing!

[Ausmumof3]

We have had similar with outdoor play dates.  Can you rule out that they were more at a more infectious stage two days earlier?

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

We have had similar with outdoor play dates.  Can you rule out that they were more at a more infectious stage two days earlier?

No, but it seems unlikely! Viral load builds up, no?

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

No, but it seems unlikely! Viral load builds up, no?

Depends what it was I guess 

according to wiki this is what it is like for rhinovirus 

“Human rhinovirus can remain activated for up to three hours outside of a human host. Once the virus is contracted, a person is most contagious within the first three days. Preventative measures such as regular vigorous handwashing with soap and water may aid in avoiding infection. Avoiding touching the mouth, eyes, and nose, the most common entry points for rhinovirus may also aid in prevention. Droplet precautions, which take the form of a surgical mask and gloves, are the method used in major hospitals.”

 

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Depends what it was I guess 

according to wiki this is what it is like for rhinovirus 

“Human rhinovirus can remain activated for up to three hours outside of a human host. Once the virus is contracted, a person is most contagious within the first three days. Preventative measures such as regular vigorous handwashing with soap and water may aid in avoiding infection. Avoiding touching the mouth, eyes, and nose, the most common entry points for rhinovirus may also aid in prevention. Droplet precautions, which take the form of a surgical mask and gloves, are the method used in major hospitals.”

 

Hmmmm. It’s hard to know what “contracted” means here. Most sites I’m finding say people are most contagious at the beginning of symptoms and right before.

Another thing:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3039011/

[Ausmumof3]

39 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Hmmmm. It’s hard to know what “contracted” means here. Most sites I’m finding say people are most contagious at the beginning of symptoms and right before.

Another thing:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3039011/

Yep I think that’s what I’ve heard in the past re common cold.  I was curious because with Covid I remember at one point they said you were most contagious right before onset of symptoms.  It’s actually amazing how many “we don’t really know” things there are about viruses we’ve lived with for years.

Either way, I think you’re on the right track with outdoors and masking being the best option for balance right now. I was just nitpicking a bit.  It can also be hard to tell with early onset symptoms whether people might have come thinking it was allergies or whatever.  I’ve had so many people telling me they had allergies lately when I was pretty darn sure they were sick (and whose families later became sick!!!). Anyway… that’s an aside.