I breathed a lot of grinding dust, working 40 yrs in machine shops. Most of what I did all that time was grinding. I have COPD now.
My Dad was an iron worker after WWII and eventually started up his own welding shop. Mom took care of the office, and Dad ran the shop. They did quite well for themselves. Dad never had any health issues from welding, except wrecking his hearing. Mine is shot, too.
I could’ve taken over the business, but no, I had to go off and “ do my own thing”. Biggest mistake I ever made.
Sorry to hear that. I worked as a maintenance machinist at AB in STL. We were the last brewery in the US to use coal fired steam. I spent the last 14 years there working around the coal equipment. Two pulverizer boilers and two stoker feed boilers. I learned a lot about handling very heavy stuff in tight areas. We were very good (it’s not bragging if you can do it) “monkey swinging” heavy pieces. Into place using multiple hosts & come-a-longs. I used a face mask a lot because it works against coal dust. Viruses, I doubt it.