Indoor places where people are talking loudly, or even singing, can present the biggest COVID-19 hotspots.
You have been waiting and waiting to go out. Now stores, restaurants and beaches may be opening in your area. Some regions of North America are experiencing a consistent decrease in COVID-19 cases as is the case in many parts of Canada, and some areas in the US. Other spots such as regions in Texas and Florida are experiencing a huge surge in new coronavirus cases, prompting a second wave of shut downs. This is being done in efforts to curb the continued spread of the virus. In light of this, wherever you live, you may want to know what could be the safest places to visit in public.
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First, let’s point out that during a pandemic, there is no place that is entirely safe to frequent in public urban areas. If there are other people around, you risk getting the virus every time you leave your house. To truly avoid COVID-19, you should stay home, which works to protect you as long as the other members of your family are also doing so.
If you ARE going out, you should wear a face mask to protect others. You could be asymptomatic. You should also wear a visor to protect yourself from getting the coronavirus. Wash your hands with soap after touching any surfaces. Use hand sanitizer. You should also stay at least 6 feet or two meters from other people to avoid breathing in their air. This all sounds drastic and far from fantastic, but it is the truth, whether we like it or not.
The Regular Suspects
If you do venture into public, experts say some places could expose you to higher rates of the virus than others. Where are you most at risk? According to University of Massachusetts Dartmouth infectious disease professor, Dr. Erin Bromage, inhabited indoor spaces are the worst places to be.
Bromage says you are most likely to be infected with the coronavirus in places where you would often catch a cold or the flu. These locations are at home, in your workplace, on public transport, at social gatherings, and in restaurants. These places account for 90% of all transmissions of COVID-19, she states.
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It is important to remember that “social gatherings” is a large umbrella label under which many locations and events can be categorized. Clubs, bars, indoor birthday parties, busy backyard bbqs, and crowded beaches can all put you in the headlights of COVID-19. Basically, anyplace in which there is not much social distancing, where people may be talking loudly, shouting, or singing, and where you are touching shared surfaces, increases the spread of the coronavirus. The amount of time you spend with other people also increases your chances of being infected.
Bromage says that one sneeze releases about 30,000 droplets from your nose. These can travel up to 200 miles per hour, meaning they can easily cross a room. A cough, for its part, can spread about 3,000 droplets at about 50 miles per hour. Both can definitely infect you when close to others indoors.
Judge for Yourself
As stated above, many places are now opening up. Sometimes this is being done in areas where the virus has not yet died out enough, however. It is true that it is good for our mental health to open our economies and for our wallets. It would be wise to act critically to keep yourself safe, however. Simply because a place is open, or you were invited to a gathering, does not necessarily mean it is safe now to visit or attend.
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How can you be wise? Do your research. Educate yourself on how many active cases and new daily cases of the coronavirus are currently in your area, or the area you plan to travel to. Ask yourself whether social distancing will be possible. Can you trust that people will be acting responsibly? Do you know their regular exposure to the virus, (i.e, do they work in a medical facility, or in a grocery store? What is their level of exposure?) Is the place well ventilated? Is the air circulated often if indoors?
By answering these questions, you can go one step further in protecting yourself and your family, until a vaccine is here.
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