Medical exemption from the requirement to wear COVID-19 mask (Evanston: attorney, allergy)

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

Where can I buy a bandanna or a light scarf for men?

My spouse and I have and use these most of the time:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're pretty lightweight (a bit lighter than a light scarf), relatively cool to the touch, and you can wear them down around your next when you're not using them and pull them up over your mouth and nose when you need them.

[Chi_42]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

My spouse and I have and use these most of the time:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're pretty lightweight (a bit lighter than a light scarf), relatively cool to the touch, and you can wear them down around your next when you're not using them and pull them up over your mouth and nose when you need them.

The above link does not work.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

The above link does not work.

Because they sold out, I've seen that message recently as well; on items I've previously ordered.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Try that, polyester breathes nicely; I use the same material for workout shirts.

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

The above link does not work.

Sorry about that. It does look like it’s now sold out/unavailable. The one linked by Sunbiz1 looks pretty similar in design and efficacy.

[Chi_42]

I am the OP, and here is an update on my situation.


I made some modifications to the KN95 mask that has been giving me trouble. I made these modifications, in order to breathe easier while wearing the mask. I poked some "discrete" holes into the mask, and I opened up the breathing filter.

Yesterday, I went into a grocery store wearing this "modified" KN95 mask. Unfortunately, these modifications did not help. I still had problems, and I almost passed out.

I think that, when I wear this mask, I am exhaling the CO2 and then inhaling the CO2, thereby getting hypercapnia. Putting holes into the mask did not help.

Even today, 24 hours later, I'm still feeling the effects of the hypercapnia.


It seems that the face-covering requirement will be around in Illinois for quite a while. The politicians are all for it. And, a few days ago, the idiot Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn wrote a column equating not wearing a face covering to smoking in a restaurant.

It seems that, if and when concerts and theatrical performances come back, the audience members will be required to wear face coverings. And some airlines are requiring their passengers to wear face coverings.

I can not wear a mask for the entirety of a 2-hour concert, and I can not wear a mask for an 8-hour flight.
So, it looks as if I will have to 1) wear a scarf (which may be possible for me to wear in a way that will allow me to avoid inhaling CO2) or 2) get some doctor to give me some legally binding exemption.

[RamenAddict]

Why don’t you wear a simple fabric mask instead of a heavy duty mask? The lightweight fabric masks are much easier to breath through. I have an N99 respirator, but there is no way I would ever wear that on a flight. I will wear a simple fabric mask.

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

I am the OP, and here is an update on my situation.


I made some modifications to the KN95 mask that has been giving me trouble. I made these modifications, in order to breathe easier while wearing the mask. I poked some "discrete" holes into the mask, and I opened up the breathing filter.

Yesterday, I went into a grocery store wearing this "modified" KN95 mask. Unfortunately, these modifications did not help. I still had problems, and I almost passed out.

I think that, when I wear this mask, I am exhaling the CO2 and then inhaling the CO2, thereby getting hypercapnia. Putting holes into the mask did not help.

Even today, 24 hours later, I'm still feeling the effects of the hypercapnia.


It seems that the face-covering requirement will be around in Illinois for quite a while. The politicians are all for it. And, a few days ago, the idiot Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn wrote a column equating not wearing a face covering to smoking in a restaurant.

It seems that, if and when concerts and theatrical performances come back, the audience members will be required to wear face coverings. And some airlines are requiring their passengers to wear face coverings.

I can not wear a mask for the entirety of a 2-hour concert, and I can not wear a mask for an 8-hour flight.
So, it looks as if I will have to 1) wear a scarf (which may be possible for me to wear in a way that will allow me to avoid inhaling CO2) or 2) get some doctor to give me some legally binding exemption.

A couple of things:

1) It's probably unlikely that it's hypercapnia, especially when you say that you put holes into the mask (somewhat defeating its purpose), but you still had problems. There's been modest amounts of digging into whether the amount of increased CO2 poses any threat to most individuals, and it seems very unlikely:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ma...gerous-health/

If I had to guess, I would suspect that you might simply not be breathing normally as you would without the mask, and you've now become hyperaware of your breathing habits now that your exhalation is more noticeable with a mask on. As the previous poster suggested, a simple cloth covering is generally more tolerable and more comfortable.

2) You're likely correct that face coverings will be around for a while. You can blame it on politicians all you want, but it certainly helps prevent the exhalation of spit particles, which can carry a lot of infectious agents, including Coronavirus:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...hout-mask.html

[Chi_42]

Originally Posted by RamenAddict

Why don’t you wear a simple fabric mask instead of a heavy duty mask? The lightweight fabric masks are much easier to breath through. I have an N99 respirator, but there is no way I would ever wear that on a flight. I will wear a simple fabric mask.

Would something like the following be a good fabric mask?

https://www.headcovers.com/bandanas-...oss-bandannas/

[Caglee]

Originally Posted by RamenAddict

Why don’t you wear a simple fabric mask instead of a heavy duty mask? The lightweight fabric masks are much easier to breath through.

This is what I have been doing and it's making my quick grocery store trips much more bearable. While I think the op is dramatizing a little bit, I can definitely sympathize with how uncomfortable and awful it is to wear a mask. I only wear them at stores who require it (out of respect to the store, don't give a hoot about Pritzker or the scare-mongering Karen's roaming the aisles), and wearing them for any length of time is uncomfortable and off-putting. So I found a bandana made of the lightest thinnest fabric possible and it's a little better than something thicker like an n95 mask.

I've seen multiple people at Walmart and Jewel not wearing the masks and the employees don't seem to be enforcing it, so maybe try different stores if yours are doing that?

[RamenAddict]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

Would something like the following be a good fabric mask?

https://www.headcovers.com/bandanas-...oss-bandannas/

Many people are just wearing bandanas. I just made a fabric mask with one layer of fabric and interfacing in it. It is *very* lightweight. If I fly somewhere and need to put one on, that is what I will have on.