Both people and surfaces can carry the virus, and precautions need to be taken.
With the weather already looking and feeling fall-ish in some areas, many people may find their thoughts are turning towards the indoors. We all know how complicated that can be these days, however. Staying safely away from the coronavirus requires that we socialize outside, with a mask on, staying about 6 feet apart. What about kids’ play? Children’s playgrounds have reopened in most areas, and as long as there aren’t too many kids on them at the same time, they could be OK to use. As long as hand sanitizer is used religiously, the risk of infection is there but it sits within some moderate bounds of control.
Indoor playgrounds are a whole other beast, entirely, however.
If you have never been to an indoor playground before, let us enlighten you. These places have so many common surfaces they would be impossible to count. Lined with inflatable slides, bouncy castles, indoor climbing structures akin to a McDonald’s playplace on steroids, rock climbing walls abound as do toddler ride-on toys, and mini plastic playhouses galore. Undoubtedly, these places present a play time like never before. They also present the perfect place to be infected with just about any contagious disease that loves to lurk in warm, shared environments. Staph bacteria, E.Coli, and vomit-inducing bacteria abound. One study found 13 different kinds of disease-causing pathogens present at indoor playgrounds in 11 different US states. And that is just related to what can be found on the equipment. What could possibly be sitting in the air in these indoor warehouses is another matter.
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When it comes to COVID-19 one of the major concerns is around people crowding into indoor spaces and infecting each other. Studies show the virus can live outside but really thrives indoors. Make sure the place you visit is restricting the number of families and groups that can visit at one time. Masks should be mandatory indoors, on adults and children alike, except for those under the age of 2, as per CDC recommendations.
Research has shown that viral particles can live on things like wood, plastic, and steel for much longer than 24 hours. Although it might be clean, there is a true chance any playground could have some kind of virus lurking on it. Experts advise you focus on keeping kids hands and faces clean. You cannot sanitize all the play surfaces. Remember that some surfaces cannot be properly cleaned either, such as sand or rope.
If your child is not comfortable wearing a mask, have them practice wearing one at home. If you are still nervous about the environment, stick to playing outdoors, or in your own home. Indoor playgrounds are amazing, but now is not really the time or place.
photo credit: Viacheslav Lopatin/Shutterstock.com
