Pandemic Health and Safety
You are a part of our community. We owe it to each other to do our part to keep infection down.
NOTE: Because anyone may have an infection and not know it, we should act as though we may be infected.
Your bodily fluids may contain infective agents. Your objective is to keep them to yourself by containing them.
NOTE: All air that comes in/out of your mouth and nose has a potential of sharing an infection. Contamination is when the air or a surface (even your hands) receives bodily fluids. The level of contamination varies with behavior.
This list shows the relative level of possible contamination by inhalation:
| Behavior: | Risk w/o Mask: | Risk with My BFF masks: |
| Breathing | Low | Very Low |
| Talking | Moderate | Very Low |
| Loud Singing | High | Low |
| Hugging | Moderate | Very Low |
| Kissing | Moderate | Very Low |
| Spitting | Extreme | Low |
| Coughing | Extreme | Low |
| Sneezing | Extreme | Low |
| Distance: <2 feet | Extreme | Moderate |
| Distance: <6 feet | Very High | Low |
| Distance: >6 feet | Moderate to Low | Low |
NOTE: The risk levels in the table above are approximate and relative.
Many conditions (contaminated person's shedding rate, room ventilation, the existence of underlying health conditions and the individual's immune response to infection are among the many variables that influence whether a person will have an infection experience that presents from no symptoms to severe, possibly resulting in death.
NOTICE: Wearing a mask (including the famous N95) does not guarantee an infection is not shared. A comfortable and close fit all around the face is very important. The seal that is made to the face should be tested and maintained during use to minimize contamination of surfaces and the air. Physical distancing, fresh air, and the efficiency of filter materials in masks are very important. Fresh air is your friend.
Safe distance?
It depends on behaviors (see above), how much fresh air is circulated to refresh the air and how well people keep their fluids inside their mask. Studies have shown that virus from a person might spread 27 feet and more in the air and stay suspended in a room for a long time. Avoid rooms with possible infection and no ventilation.
If you or others show any of the many symptoms of infection, seek medical advice within hours.