Local Runner Wishes He Hadn't Burned All His Neck Gaiters
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A local man destroyed his collection of neck gaiters earlier this week, Dumb Runner has learned—a decision he now regrets.
Dave Byrne, 30, an avid runner and outdoor enthusiast, burned all 12 of his gaiters and buffs in his backyard fire pit Monday after reading an article in The Washington Post headlined Wearing a Neck Gaiter May Be Worse Than No Mask at All, Researchers Find.
In fact, the research in question made no such determination, as Byrne learned this morning in a Quartz.com article titled Don’t Give Up on Your Buff Just Yet.
As that article puts it:
The results (of the research) sound alarming and even counterintuitive after months of hearing that cloth face coverings can provide some protection for others during the pandemic. But the truth is, this study was never intended to study the efficacy of buffs and other face masks at all; it was more about designing a new way to test mask efficacy. And without comparing this new droplet-measuring method to existing methods, it shouldn’t be used to completely rule out buffs as a face covering.
“Dammit,” said Byrne.
In a phone call with Dumb Runner, Byrne conceded that he acted a bit hastily in reacting to the research. He also questioned whether destroying his gaiters was necessary, even if they were determined to be useless as face masks.
“In retrospect,” he said, “I guess burning them was a bit rash.”
“Live and learn.”
