As the country moves towards opening up again, and the summer season where we are normally active and socializing begins, it’s important to be able to manage the risks and keep your families safe.
We all are asking ourselves: which activities are safest to resume? The experts have weighed in, and here’s some general guidelines.
There are five factors to keep in mind.
- Is the activity indoors, where the air is more stagnant and infection is easier to spread, or outdoors?
- How close are you forced to be with others?
- How long a period of time are you within close quarters of another person?
- How likely are others to be complying with social distancing and wearing masks?
- What is your personal risk? Do you live with elderly parents? Do you have underlying health conditions that would leave you more vulnerable to COVID-19?
Generally speaking, outdoor activities where you are not exposed to many people for long periods of time are safest. Almost any activity where all participants are maintaining protective strategies (everyone is wearing a mask and also practicing social distancing) is safer than any activity where participants do not.
Given these risk factors, activities that lend themselves to higher risk would include things like going to bars; attending concerts, sporting events, and religious events (talking, singing, and shouting are known vectors of spreading disease quickly when people are in close quarters); amusement parks, gyms, buffets, contact sports like basketball and football.
Lower risk activities include camping with one’s own family, staying at a hotel, going golfing or playing tennis, non-crowded library and museum visits, and going for a walk, run, or bike ride with others at an appropriate distance.
Stay safe, and we hope to see you in person as soon as it becomes possible again.