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Avatar universal

Is wearing a mask at the gym a safe practice?

I went to the gym yesterday. There were about 35 people in the gym, but I kept my neck gaiter (more cloth than polyester). I wiped off everything I used, but there were a few people in the gym who didn't wear a mask.

I've had both Pfizer shots, but I'm worried about getting the virus and spreading it to my family. What do you think? Should I worry?
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Avatar universal
Do Wear a mask and urge others to do same. We are not sure of effect of vaccine on new variants
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1 Comments
Again, we do have pretty good evidence about the variants we now know about.  But you're right, future variants are still a wild card.  For now, the vaccines are working well against all known variants, though with some reduction in protection but still with very good protection against dying or severe illness.
Avatar universal
My understanding is that neck gaiters don't actually work, so there's that.  If you're going to wear a mask, wear a mask.  It has to fit tightly to work.  Gaiters don't do that.  I don't think the wiping is something to worry a lot about, getting covid from surfaces is a tiny risk, but in a gym people are huffing and puffing and putting a lot of droplets into the air.  I'm not sure what the actual protection is from the vaccine you had, some reports put it at 94.7% or so from the earliest clinical trials and some put it at 90% now that folks are getting shots, and they are all less effective than that for certain variants that may or may not be around your community, so I would still wear a mask at a gym and if I ruled the world they would be required at a gym, but at some point we're all going to have to get back to life and accept a certain level of risk.  How much we wish to tolerate is up to us, but again, because I believe in protecting others, I'd be more stringent in a gym than has been the case.  I certainly haven't been to one, but again, can't stay hunkered down forever.  I'd just want to see enough vaccine for herd immunity first, I think.  Peace.
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
It depends on your tolerance for risks with low odds. When you have had a vaccine that gives you 95% protection, that's pretty darn good! Just not 100%.
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