The airline also notes on its website that âfalse claims of a disability or health condition to obtain an exemption from wearing a mask or face covering may result in the suspension of travel privileges on any Delta flight for the duration of the mask/face covering requirement.â
I flew Delta last month, they seemed to be doing a credible job of taking the pandemic seriously. (However, watch out for codeshares; KLMâs policies are terrible.) Unfortunately, there were a couple of people near me who were not great at keeping their masks on, and since the cabin crews are not walking up and down the aisles as much there was no admonition, let alone enforcement.
For anyone about to fly, hereâs a helpful chart I saw at USPIRG:
Legit question: what kind of disability would prevent one from wearing a mask?
Very cool approach and encouraging very preliminary results. If it pans out, it could be very helpful. I await larger trials and info on pricing and availability. This winter seems pretty ambitious, but we shall see.
I cant think of anything. Not a doctor either.
I am sure there exist people whose respiratory status is that tenuous that a mask could tip them over the edge, but the ones most likely to struggle would be those with some psychiatric issues. Severe claustrophobia, certain PTSD cases, etc. I mean, they are not entirely comfortable, and I could imagine some could be pushed too far by the sensation. But it is also a very small number.
I think you should have learned by now what appropriately proportionate reactions to covid19 looks like.
40 or so confirmed cases puts the situation as being similar to that in Wuhan in mid-January. Remember all the hindsight analysis about what the authorities should have done back then? This is what learning the lessons of the pandemic actually means.
I canât wear anything around my neck. Collared blouses cannot have the first two buttons done up and turtlenecks are a no-go. I literally feel like I am choking and canât breathe. Even a sweatshirt with too high or narrow of a collar will do it. So, yes, very much a possibility, and near impossible to prove without being accused of faking.
I also have severe texture-sensory issues that are getting worse. Plenty of fabrics (many commonly used in womenâs fashion) are completely out for me. A good, tight-weave cotton mask is okay. Not great, but I can manage. Lined with softer flannel would be better (but hotter). So, absolutely I can see someone worse off than me being unable to tolerate it.
Which is why we need more and better adaptive PPE.
At the same time, the ADA requires that companies make accommodations that do not endanger others. Letting a maskless person in to fly or shop â even if they do have a valid reason â could quite arguably endanger others. Again, more and better adaptive PPE is a better answer than âsorry, guess youâre just SOL then.â
Lines up perfectly with my assumptions. But I have these annoying tendencies to assume there must always be other factors Iâm not aware of, and to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.
I can understand respiratory issues, as I have been maintaining an albuterol habit for two score and then some. But I have to say, and christ I feel like a freakinâ salesman lately, have any of these people tried an actual respirator? No, itâs not quite as comfy as a well-worn clip-on tie, but compared to pulling air through wet cotton, itâs a breath of fresh air.
It wonât fog your glasses, and the sweat goes around and over it. That makes extreme heat feel a bit less oppressive, sort of like a headband for your mucus vents. I wear one for mowing, as aspirating a bunch of fresh salad tends to be something I regret a few hours later.
Mine also gives me superpowers. Ever muck stalls? If youâre thinking the horse shit is gross, itâs really really not. Itâs barely even shit, as these things go. But all that piss, soaked into whatever bedding substrate, that gets tough. The real fun though, is digging down under the stall mats to remove the most extreme nightsoil. That will give you a chance to learn how much ammonia you can breathe. For me, it takes less than ten minutes before my inner monologue gets simplistic and starts to loop. But with organic vapor cartridges, I can work till Iâm tired. Why donât they want superpowers?!?!??
Question: your respirator controls and filters the air coming in, but what about going out?
Because if it doesnât, youâre putting people around you at risk from you. Which is what a regular mask mitigates.
Same here. Perhaps not to quite the same extent, but definitely close. I even have a couple nice âupscale t-shirtâ type shirts that give me that feeling, despite there being no fabric high enough to seem like it would matter. In fact, my clip-on tie quip above is a reference to that; real ties are right out, for both ideological and this reason, and even a clip-on with the top button not buttoned still makes me feel strangled.
Youâre absolutely correct.
The output ports on my two newer masks are round, so I create a cone from two layers of heavy coffee filter, tape that around the base of the port, then fold that cone down and tape across it. I also keep the necessary craft supplies to redo that setup in my Sanitation Station, as Iâve had to remake it in a grocery store parking lot a couple times already.
EDIT: Here is my latest incarnation of such; messy because it was done quickly in a grocery store parking lot.
And as @MalevolentPixy points out, ANY mask with an unfiltered output valve needs to have this problem sorted out and worked around.
The cynic in me says hereâs another manufactured stock bump for pharm CEOs coming.
The good in me says YAY PROGRESS!
I can heartily recommend Southwest for their covid procedures. Also something to consider: fly in and out of the less-busy airports, if you have a choice.
âClean Between Flightsâ Yeah, right. Photos and testing or it never happened.
Change the air filters? Sure. /s
come on! you know some airlines try to pick up visible trash from the floor. sometimes theyâre even get pick up some of the trash from the seats themselves. if thatâs not cleaning, what is? 
