Amid the pandemic, outside is the safest place to hang out with others.
But the risk of outdoor exposure to COVID-19 is not uniform for every activity.
Many people are enjoying finally returning to restaurants andseeing friends in person.
But outdoor COVID-19 exposure risk is not uniform among all activities.
Congregation at a bar inside is bad news.
When people are outside, its a lot easier to keep some distance.
chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Being outside just means that there is a little less risk of transmission.
But not all outdoor activities are low-risk in terms of exposure to COVID-19, explains Dr. Plescia.
Below, hes ranked a few activates based on the risk involved.
Outdoor COVID-19 exposure risk, according to the activity
1.
Exercising outside
If youre out running by yourself I think youre probably fine.
When youre exercising with others, the risk increases.
You never know if that person might be sick and particularly they might be asymptomatic, he says.
Going running with somebody, keeping a little bit of distance as you run is fine.
If youre really breathing hard, maybe keep a little bit more distance from other people.
chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
I just think thats probably prudent but six feet is probably still adequate, he says.
But people let their guard down.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
Its harder to practice safe habits when youre at the beach or in a pool.
Shopping at an outdoor market
Youre safe to visit an outdoor flea market or farmers market.
But again, stay protected with a face covering and keep your distance.
Also if youre going to go out to a market, limit your time there.
Dont go and hang around for hours, just go for a brief period.
That would be a prudent thing to do.
And so theres that potential that you could have transmission from somebody that you know.
When it comes to things like menus and silverware, manyrestaurants are taking the necessary precautions.
A lot of restaurants have moved towards having disposable menus and disposable eating utensils, he says.
Err on the side of caution and wash or sanitize your hands frequently.
Drinking at an outdoor bar
Theres some reduction of risk there because youre outdoors, says Dr. Plescia.
In recent days, states like Arizona and Ohio havereshuttered their bars as COVID-19 cases soar.
Playing contact sports
Any sport where you have to touch people is high-risk.
A good example is basketball.
People love to go to the park and play basketball.
Its a fun game.
I totally sympathize with that.
Basketball is risky; golf, on the other hand, is probably fine.
We should look at it as a vehicle to opening up.
You dont want to just restrict everything because people are not going to tolerate that.
have a go at avoid the close congregation of people, wash your hands often.
But dont just make it all or none.
So make public health work for you, as opposed to against you.
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