Mask wearing in Swiss Aircraft

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May 17, 2021, 10:01 am

sfoeuroflyer

Original Poster

Join Date: May 2004

Programs: LX Senator; AF Platinum and Club 2000; AA Platinum for life (former EXP)

Posts: 507

Mask wearing in Swiss Aircraft

What in the world is behind the statement that masks will be around for a few more years? The vaccines (at least Pfizer and Moderna) are fabulously effective. Breakthrough infections are already incredibly rare, both because the vaccine works so well and because so many people now have antibodies. And when an infection occurs, it is very very mild, truly less than the regular flu. So what is the purpose of keeping masks around? To protect people who have deliberately elected not to be vaccinated???? That's crazy. The US CDC has already concluded that masks are not needed indoors in settings with vastly less air flow than an aircraft. Is LX just blowing hot air with the several years of masks statement?

May 17, 2021, 11:02 am

Nick Art

Moderator: SAS

Join Date: Feb 2018

Location: BOS & BLL & CPH & ZRH

Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)

Posts: 3,255

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfoeuroflyer

I think the US optimism of removing masks this early is misplaced.I find the CDC decision to be hasty and wrong.
Hopefully things will improve and evolve in a way that would allow maskless travel again eventually. If I had to guess I'd say it could be possible in fall 2022 at the earliest unless flights would require vaccination from now on. Then I'd say Fall 2021.

May 18, 2021, 12:35 am

moreaki

Join Date: Sep 2016

Location: ZRH/VLC/MIA/SFO/SIN

Programs: LX HON

Posts: 64

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfoeuroflyer

This is a vastly non-exhaustive list of reasons I believe warrants a thought or two on why in certain societal events wearing a mask makes sense:

Vaccine efficacy is not 100%, and it will never be. Depending on what kind of vaccine approach (mRNA, vector, protein sub unit) has been taken, how the recipient's body received it, the different virus strands that evolve over time, you will always have a residual amount of people that you can expose or will be exposed to in certain settings. A mask is a first bastion of protection.
People are not honest about being vaccinated or not, and certain SARS-type viral infections seem to cause major damage to the human body. Wearing a mask smartly in areas where protection might not be sufficient needs to be debated in public discourse governed by sound scientific knowledge.
There are thousands of viral infections and before CoVID-19, especially when traveling, we all have been constantly exposed to different types of flu. To a certain degree, this could be argued as being healthy for our immune systems, but I reckon we can all agree that regular flu season didn't occur last and this year so far. Masks have largely contributed to this.
Some people (ladies mainly) argue that it gives them protection against "predatory" gazes, others argue that they counterbalance unwarranted surveillance and facial recognition in public spaces.
There is an easy to understand (for people with sufficient math background) course on particle modeling offered at MIT called "Physics of COVID-19 Transmission". It is quite revelatory with regard to the added benefits of wearing masks.
Personal and individual choice, upon which others have absolutely no right to object.
Many people are surprisingly highly inconsiderate with their hygiene and/or how they deal with being ill outside of their private environment. A mask again offers protection against olfactory damage through offensive smells, and my personal favorite: people freely sneezing onto you from behind in an airplane in a way that permanently affects your hairdo.

There was a interesting article the other day in the New York Times revolving around that topic. You might find some additional rationale in the exhaustive comments section.

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