Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 Restrictions for Indoor Classes
For a list of all our rules and restrictions, click here.
WHY ARE WE CHANGING THE COVID RULES NOW? THE PANDEMIC ISN’T OVER.
Realistically, COVID will never be over. But what that means is a moving target.
Our approach is to adapt dojo-wide restrictions in response to “conditions on the ground”. As community transmission rates decrease, and hospitalizations and death rates decrease, the dojo has an opportunity to recalibrate our policies. In order to avoid “pandemic fatigue”, we will continue to adjust covid policy as appropriate to be more or less restrictive based on prevailing community conditions.
Remember, if conditions change and infection rates increase, we will put more restrictions back in place.
Individual instructors still have the option to offer more restrictive requirements for their classes, even if these restrictions do not exist at the dojo level. A variety of training options will be available to you. Let your teachers know how you feel.
ISN’T THE PRESENCE OF UNVACCINATED STUDENTS DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE?
Vaccines have been shown to significantly reduce the probability of catastrophic outcomes from COVID-19 infection. That is, you are much less likely to die or be hospitalized if you have been vaccinated. Vaccines also appear to shorten the period of “high viral load”, thus slowing the spread within highly vaccinated populations over time.
However, it is unclear to what extent vaccines prevent actual transmission between individuals at a given time. Fully vaccinated people can carry COVID-19 and infect others, even if they are completely asymptomatic. Therefore, even with a strict vaccination requirement, there will always be a risk of exposure and transmission.
To learn more about current scientific perspectives on vaccine mandates, click here to read a good article from the journal Science:
https://www.science.org/content/article/do-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-still-make-sense
If you are concerned about preventing transmission, you should focus on masking and testing. “Rapid” antigen tests are good at detecting contagiousness. N-95 and KN-94 masks provide significant protection to both you and the people around you. There will never be “mask prohibited” classes at Aikido West; you will always have the option of wearing a mask during training.
Does avoiding unvaccinated people reduce the likelihood that YOU will catch COVID-19 on any given day? The answer depends on many factors. Please choose which classes you attend based on your personal preferences and comfort level.
AREN’T RAPID “AT HOME” ANTIGEN TESTS LESS ACCURATE THAN PCR TESTS?
PCR tests are better at detecting if the virus is present anywhere in your body, whereas rapid antigen tests detect the presence of the virus in your upper respiratory system. For this reason, they can be a very effective tool for determining whether or not you are contagious. For more information on this subject, refer to this interview: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-at-home-covid-tests
Rapid tests are an important tool for our community to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The dojo can provide you with a test if you need one. If you have any symptoms of illness, or if you have been in contact with a COVID-positive person, you must take a rapid test before returning to the mat.
WHY ARE SOME CLASSES “MASK REQUIRED”?
While vaccines have been shown to significantly reduce catastrophic outcomes from COVID-19 infections, it is not clear to what extent they serve to reduce transmission.
Masks, on the other hand, have been shown to drastically reduce airborne transmission. KN-94 and N-95 masks can protect not only the community, but also the wearer.
Currently, our only “Mask Required” classes are those taught by Doran Sensei.
MASKS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE… WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THAT?
If the idea of wearing a mask on the mat bothers you, open your mind and consider the following:
Aikido practice is about constantly challenging ourselves, managing discomfort, and maintaining a positive attitude. Think of your mask as a challenge which you can meet, like training at high altitude, or for many hours in a row, or in the winter cold or summer heat.
Wearing a mask requires intentional deep breathing and conscious pacing of your physical activity. Think of a mask as an opportunity to slow down and learn something new about the principle of kokyu. Just as we can learn from training with an injury, we can learn from training with a mask.
Wearing a mask protects those around you. Accepting discomfort in order to protect others is an expression of respect.
Disposable, paper surgical masks can be slightly easier to breathe through than cloth masks. The dojo can provide you with a paper mask on request.
You have the option of restricting your training to “mask optional” classes.
Isn’t there a risk of COVID transmission from touching one another’s hands, arms, or dogi?
Possibly, but the risk appears to be small or negligible. The term for this is “fomite transmission”, where you might cough or sneeze on your hand or sleeve, after which your training partner contacts a potentially contaminated area.
In March of 2020, very little was know about COVID-19 transmission. Its similarities to the flu inspired widespread adoption of mitigation tatics for potential surface transmission risks – for instance, disinfecting grocery cart handles.
As more data about transmission became available, there was strong indication that COVID transmission is primarily airborne (that is, by breathing the same air as someone else). It has been difficult for the health care community to find conclusive evidence of ANY fomite transmission for COVID-19. You can read more about this by clicking here.
Of course it is impossible to prove that something can NEVER happen. It has always been Aikido West policy to ask students to keep their training uniforms clean, to wash or sanitize their hands before and after practice, and to clean high-touch surfaces. We will continue these policies with an added emphasis on awareness and caution.
