When will it be safe to get a massage?

[starman05]

Of course, it's a bit rhetorical in that a) it's never been 100% 'safe' -- once I had a guy straddle me and put my dick up his butt (no condom! Yikes! GET OFF!) -- not to mention going to a total stranger's home and getting naked.

 

But COVID-19's a game changer. Until there's a vaccine, will it ever be safe to go out and get a massage either from a trusted regular, an potentially more exciting newbie or at a spa?

 

B) I know it's person choice and always will be, but ... it's hard to think that things will return to normalcy anytime soon.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

After two months of working from home and not having good seating for 8 hours in front of the computer, my lower back finally told me I needed to roll the dice and get a massage. It felt so good to get those knots worked on. I'm now 10 days after the message and not detecting any COVID-19 symptoms.

[Sedtruik]

After two months of working from home and not having good seating for 8 hours in front of the computer, my lower back finally told me I needed to roll the dice and get a massage. It felt so good to get those knots worked on. I'm now 10 days after the message and not detecting any COVID-19 symptoms.

What precautions did you take?

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

What precautions did you take?

 

Other than using hand sanitizer before the massage, none during the massage. And I showered before leaving.

[Sedtruik]

Other than using hand sanitizer before the massage, none during the massage. And I showered before leaving.

This is my plan too once we get further into June.

[The Dude]

After two months of working from home and not having good seating for 8 hours in front of the computer, my lower back finally told me I needed to roll the dice and get a massage. It felt so good to get those knots worked on. I'm now 10 days after the message and not detecting any COVID-19 symptoms.

Other than using hand sanitizer before the massage, none during the massage. And I showered before leaving.

Were there any extras, or just strictly a massage?

[GR0981]

At this point it's never going to be truly safe from COVID until a vaccine, the biggest problem with hiring is that you can have the virus for up to 2 weeks without showing symptoms.

 

The best thing you can do is wash your hands and use hand sanitizer (both ways) before and after the session, and wear masks during. Hopefully the masseur is honest and upfront about the number of clients they take and their precautions, but it's a risk to be taken when we decide to hire.

[Redwine56]

After two months of working from home and not having good seating for 8 hours in front of the computer, my lower back finally told me I needed to roll the dice and get a massage. It felt so good to get those knots worked on. I'm now 10 days after the message and not detecting any COVID-19 symptoms.

I'm with you @sam.fitzpatrick. I've been discussing it with one of my regulars whom I"ve always knew to be meticulous in his practice. I don't think you will see many masseurs who use zip off covers for the headrest which is changed along with table cover after each massage. He's been waiting it out as have I but I'm looking forward to a massage. If you really want to play it safe, you can get a massage with basic extras but that's it. If a mask is used, I would be OK with it while on my back but not when my face is in the cradle while lying on my stomach. Am I really going to suffocate myself? I'd like to think masseurs always had clean hands before touching me and unless they are massaging my face which I don't do, I don't think touching your body is an issue. It's the breathing, talking while facing you which would be the greatest risk. Forget kissing, real face to face body contact. I believe if discussed beforehand with the masseur, it can be done intelligently for both the client and the masseur.

[Dmitri]

Until there is a vaccine, it will always be a game of Russian Roulette. You can start venturing out and get a massage or two, and not be exposed to Covid 19, and start feeling like it is "safe" again to get back into getting massages. All it takes is just that one massage encounter where you get exposed, even if you have gone for 10 massages where you were not exposed. I understand we are all frustrated, but the virus has not gone away. The virus is still here and still highly contagious. It is still as much of a risk as it was in March. It really is Russian Roulette until there is a vaccine. Everyone has their own risk tolerance. You need to decide what yours is.

[+ beethoven]

As I see it, the main problem is not whether you and the masseur use hand sanitizer, or masks, or zip-off covers, but who your masseur has contacted -- even casually, which doesn't have to include massages -- in the past two weeks. How many other clients has he had? Were any of them infected without either of them knowing it? Your masseur may be giving you the virus, or you may be giving it to him, and neither of you will know it.

 

My last massage was on March 15, two days before Mayor DeBlasio ordered a lockdown of NYC -- but after museums and theaters closed, and that should have been red flag for me. I didn't realize what a risk I was taking! My masseur might have been carrying the virus, and infected me. I might have carried the virus, and infected him.

 

Dmitri is right. "Until there is a vaccine, it will always be a game of Russian Roulette."

 

That said, I think that Redwine has the right approach. Be very cautious in your choice of masseurs. How many other clients has your masseur had lately? Is he choosy about whom he accepts? FAR more important than basic precautions, such as hand sanitizer, etc. are his contacts and how physically close HE HAS BEEN to the client. Where have his previous clients been? How careful have they been? How likely is it that the client before YOU carried the virus and gave it to your masseur?

 

And I would ask Mr. Redwine, who always has sensible things to say in this forum, "Have you asked all these questions, and are you completely satisfied with the answers?" I admit that -- ten days ago -- I had a massage from one of my regulars, who had just resumed giving massages. I was confident that my questions had satisfactory answers, but was I still taking a chance? Yeah, I was. Especially at my age. Should I have done it? Probably not. Will I do it again? Probably not. (At least, not until Dmitri says it's OK. )

[LivingnLA]

Massage is a high risk event. It includes close physical proximity, breath work, talking, physical contact, and extended duration in a typically small room. Leading experts in the field are suggesting masks are a must on everyone, talking must be minimized, strict cleaning and disinfecting of everything must be done between clients, new linens and supplies between clients, and the room must be completely aired out between clients. All of that just reduces the risk. There's no way to eliminate all of the risk given the nature of massage.

 

Remember, just like STIs, the risk isn't necessarily the person you're directly interacting with at the moment. It's all of the people they've interacted with during the previous week or two. Additionally, if you are engaging in any unprotected sexual contact, it's important to know that the coronavirus has been detected in saliva, semen, and feces. We don't know if the viral dose is enough for infection, but the possibility exists. So unprotected sexual contact may spread the coronavirus. Life is full of risk. Be informed. Know your risks. Be mature enough to discuss them with whoever you're interacting with and make your choice.

[Phil_musc]

This post is too depressing. I know we're all hoping/praying for a vaccine to come out that will allow us to return to normal behaviors. But one of the things I remember reading last week in all the tributes about Larry Kramer is that AIDS has been with us since the 1980's and there is still is no vaccine for that and we all demanded that science buckle down and make it happen (for over 30 years). We act as though a vaccine will appear because, well, just because. It's our god-given right to expect such things, right? Not so, friends. It doesn't really work that way. My prediction is by the Fall (Christmas at the latest) people will be getting tired of social distancing-mask wearing, etc., and throw caution to the wind and start "taking a chance on love," however you define that.

[LivingnLA]

This post is too depressing. I know we're all hoping/praying for a vaccine to come out that will allow us to return to normal behaviors. But one of the things I remember reading last week in all the tributes about Larry Kramer is that AIDS has been with us since the 1980's and there is still is no vaccine for that and we all demanded that science buckle down and make it happen (for over 30 years). We act as though a vaccine will appear because, well, just because. It's our god-given right to expect such things, right? Not so, friends. It doesn't really work that way. My prediction is by the Fall (Christmas at the latest) people will be getting tired of social distancing-mask wearing, etc., and throw caution to the wind and start "taking a chance on love," however you define that.

 

Life is what it is and we just get to live it. There are very effective treatments now which enable people who can afford them, to live with HIV. And those same treatments have enabled a prophylactic for those who don't want to catch HIV. Those are vastly more profitable than a vaccine, which is part of why treatments are prioritized. Vaccines are often harder too. We've never successfully created a vaccine for any coronavirus. They're tricky. I have hope for a couple of the current vaccine candidates, but I won't be surprised if they ultimately fail. If we can get decent treatments, life will go on.

[+ sniper]

They were actually close to a vaccine on SARS, but stopped because the virus stopped spreading in the population and there was no longer any need - so they couldn't ethically continue human trials with no gain to be had and unknown risk. And there are animal vaccines for different coronaviruses.

[LivingnLA]

They were actually close to a vaccine on SARS, but stopped because the virus stopped spreading in the population and there was no longer any need - so they couldn't ethically continue human trials with no gain to be had and unknown risk. And there are animal vaccines for different coronaviruses.

 

Yes, except the "close" SARS vaccine wasn't very effective in animals. Personally, I still remain cautiously optimistic, but we'll know more later this year. I hope they succeed. We really need a vaccine to return to some semblance of normal.

 

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/will-there-be-a-coronavirus-vaccine-maybe-not.html

Edited June 2, 2020 by LivingnLA

[Kody S]

I appreciate the perspectives shared here. For me, it is about safety and risk assessment. The reality: the virus is still new, unpredictable, potentially very dangerous, and testing is not completely reliable. All of this argues on the one hand for caution and the ability to wait until we know more about how to better assess risks. On the other hand, life cannot become unlivable. One cannot become incapacitated by an over-abundance of fear and caution. Life does go on. If it gets to the point of really needing a massage (for whatever reason), it seems reasonable to choose a very trusted provider and discuss needs and modalities and come to an agreeable arrangement of how to proceed with risks fully on the table. Those risks have been shared in multiple posts here so won’t repeat. For now, the days of “just pick a new guy and take the plunge to see what happens” are, at best, suspended. Not smart. Honest communication, high respect for boundaries and hygiene are the keys here. It just takes one bad exposure to get the virus, And, has been said multiple times here, it’s Russian Roulette.

[starman05]

"Russian Roulette" -- that's pretty much what it was like with having sex back in the 1980s (and still today).

 

I had an odd coming out. While I was figuring it all out, I learned about erotic massages, reading ads in the LA Weekly and later, Frontiers.

 

Now, it's about making choices again. Ironic -- I should just try to find a monogamous relationship and settle down. Preferably with a guy who knows how to give a great massage!

[nylund]

One more precaution I would add (even though I haven't dipped my toes back yet) is I will be staying away from the traveling masseurs, especially those coming from 'hot spots'. Nowadays when I check RM/MF and I see those masseurs still traveling all over the place, I can't help but smh.

 

Also, this week I reached out to one of my go-to guys after not having a massage for 4 months to see how he's doing. He has discreetly 're-opened', only seeing a few long term clients but not to anyone else until the state properly okays it. I was tempted but then I am very hesitant pulling the trigger. What if the masseur is exposed after seeing clients and pass it to me and I bring it home and infect my partner??

Edited June 5, 2020 by nylund

[dcguy20]

To me, I'll be waiting even longer to see if there's a spike in cases due to relaxed restrictions and the protests.

[+ beethoven]

Nylund is absolutely right. As careful as a masseur might be, he doesn't know if his clients might transmit the virus to him, and no matter how prudent your masseur is with you, he could pass it on to you. And no one would know it at the time, no matter how well intentioned all of you are.

 

Anything we do has risks. If we go for a walk, we could be hit by a bicycle messenger or a piece of stone could fall from a building and kill us. We're willing to take those risks, as they are small. We can often control where you walk, and we look both ways before crossing a street. Can we control the spread of the virus? We can't practice social distancing during a massage, nor is it convenient to wear masks. We have less control over the situation.

 

Are we willing to risk contracting Covid19? We have to assess the risk, and make a decision. There's a difference between assessing risk and taking a chance.

[jcarper]

Just wondering... has anyone gotten a massage lately? How safe did you feel? And would you still get a massage if the masseur says he is going to wear a face shield and mask (though you don't have to) and also limits duration to only 30 minutes (since duration also increases risk when two people are in close proximity)?

[510guy]

Just read that massage places are seeing higher than usual demand for massages of course in places that have been allowed to reopen.

This is surprising to me. I know massage places have probably a set protocol for cleaning but it has more people coming in and out. But also no body to body contact so maybe that makes it less risky.

[510guy]

Just wondering... has anyone gotten a massage lately? How safe did you feel? And would you still get a massage if the masseur says he is going to wear a face shield and mask (though you don't have to) and also limits duration to only 30 minutes (since duration also increases risk when two people are in close proximity)?

 

30 minutes seems to short. I would have both wear masks.

[+ sniper]

Just read that massage places are seeing higher than usual demand for massages of course in places that have been allowed to reopen.

This is surprising to me. I know massage places have probably a set protocol for cleaning but it has more people coming in and out. But also no body to body contact so maybe that makes it less risky.

 

I just don't think there's all that much transmission just from surface contact. when they say viruses last on surfaces for X hours, they're saying they can detect them with electron microscopes, not that there is enough to actually infect you.

 

Would I go to a studio that was one small airless room where there are people pipelined in there nonstop for hours? Probably in that situation I'd want to be the first appt of the day to feel safe. But a place where it's fairly roomy, they are meticulous about cleaning, and rooms are empty for a while between appointments? I think I'd feel okay about it with masks for client and provider.

 

If it were THAT easy to get it, we'd mostly have all had it already from the supermarket.

[jeezifonly]

I may start with one of the dozens who offer garden or poolside service...