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Comment by dheera | Hacker News Reader

The problem is when you pass other people on the trail and it's not possible to maintain a proper physical distance in passing.

Also, people seem to think the virus magically stops at an invisible 6 foot distance whereas in reality you need much more if you're breathing and running where you leave a much bigger trail of aerosolized particles as you run, and there's also wind carrying your breath much further than in a still situation.

I do take mask off for hikes when nobody is in sight but I always put it on when I see people are about to pass. What's annoying is people who don't put their mask on to pass you and don't stop and wait for both sides to have mask on before passing. I've been forced multiple times to abruptly stop and backtrack my steps to maintain distance while fiddling my mask on because the other person kept pressing forward impatiently.

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>Also, people seem to think the virus magically stops at an invisible 6 foot distance whereas in reality you need much more if you're breathing and running where you leave a much bigger trail of aerosolized particles as you run, and there's also wind carrying your breath much further than in a still situation.

But people also think (without evidence) that momentary contact closer than 6 feet is enough to spread COVID. It's almost certainly not.

You are very very very very unlikely to get COVID passing by a person for 2 seconds without wearing a mask. The infected person would have to sneeze directly into your mouth or something.

No offense, but it's not really feasible on a trail with any level of traffic to wait for each passerby to put their mask on.

Just wear it as a chin-strap and it takes 2s to pull up and adjust. Accept that sometimes, your mask will be your only defense, and then hiking is almost as easy as ever before.

> it's not really feasible

This attitude is why the US is still fighting with COVID.

Yes, it's feasible, if people prioritize getting rid of COVID instead of prioritizing beating their speed record.

And I'll probably get downvoted for this just like my other comments because this is the US. If I made these comments in Singapore or Taiwan I'd probably be upvoted a hundred times.

No, you don't understand what I mean - if you don't have your mask on and are making other hikers wait for you to do such, you are being disrespectful. A 3h hike under normal conditions can become much more arduous and time-consuming if others are making you pause for them just so you can pass with them having a mask on. You should have your mask on before they need to stop by either always wearing it or having it on your chin

Then, accept that your own mask is good enough. You don't need to wait for the other person. Like sibling comments said, studies show that being outside and briefly walking by someone is not likely to result in transmission, especially when compared to being indoors with others

I have started to just hold my breath while passing people on a trail. Problem solved?

To be honest, slipping a mask on (or pulling up a neck gaiter) when approaching people on the trail (especially if they're wearing masks), I just see it as a polite gesture even if I'm skeptical it makes the slightest bit of difference. Mostly I generally avoid going places where I'm likely to have to pass a lot of people.

Implying there was a problem to begin with. Where's the evidence of people catching this from 2 seconds spent next to someone else while walking nearby outdoors in opposite directions? You think that somehow that's not OK, but sitting 6 feet from someone indoors is?

(a) I don't sit 6 feet from someone indoors either.

(b) The problem is we don't know, and I'm in a risk group, so I don't want to take chances until something is proven to be safe.

Is this sarcasm or are you suffering from anxiety?

It's really hard for me to hold my breath going uphill, and also there's a huge wafting trail of aerosolized particles for 20+ feet behind other runners, so if I'm walking and they're running I'd have to hold my breath for longer than I can. Have you seen the simulations?

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