Risk of infection based on various activities/actions

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Scotts Tot
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1:50p, 5/26/20
AG
I wish there was more comprehensive guidelines or studies performed on what activities are most high risk and those that pose very little risk. The discussion seems to often revolve around whether continued lockdowns are helpful (as most agree they are not), but it would be nice if the powers that be could help guide the public on what behaviors truly do pose greater risk, and which don't.

We had a baby during this pandemic, so based on our own sense of doing the right thing, as well as strong urging from our pediatrician, we have been pretty strict to limit the risk of exposure to our tiny human. Now that we would like to be getting out a little more and not letting this virus dominate our lives so much, we're trying to decide what sorts of activities pose reasonably low risk.

I'm curious for those of you who might be knowledgeable based on your own experience or stuff you've read, how risky you perceive these activities to be:

  • Going to the store
  • Bringing outside items into your house without sanitizing or letting sit out, whether groceries or other goods
  • Passing unmasked strangers at close distance, like on a trail/sidewalk or aisle at the store
  • Hanging out in a friend's house but not hugging or getting super close
  • Letting small kids play with stuff other kids have been touching, like at a playground
  • Getting takeout
  • Going to a restaurant
  • Letting kids play with their friends
  • Visiting older family


Asked a more general way, what things have you been doing during quarantine that you will continue to do, and what things have you started easing up on? I suspect there were plenty of people sanitizing every bit of their groceries a month ago, that are no longer doing so, and others who will probably continue to do that for weeks or months.

Just curious...
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cone
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In reply to Scotts Tot • 2:00p, 5/26/20
AG
Quote:
  • Going to the store (pretty low risk, as long as you are masked up and moving and not chit chatting with strangers)
  • Bringing outside items into your house without sanitizing or letting sit out, whether groceries or other goods (i'm paranoid and used to this now, so i think it's pretty low risk but i still wipe things down for the most part)
  • Passing unmasked strangers at close distance, like on a trail/sidewalk or aisle at the store (low risk, almost everything outside with brief contact will be extremely low risk)
  • Hanging out in a friend's house but not hugging or getting super close (low risk, if you know what your friends habits have been since the initial outbreak. if it was a stranger's house, medium risk)
  • Letting small kids play with stuff other kids have been touching, like at a playground (low-medium risk - only reason medium is that trying to control kids is hard.)
  • Getting takeout (low low risk)
  • Going to a restaurant (medium risk - might be considered even high considering the spectrum of options we have already now. eating outside is much preferable)
  • Letting kids play with their friends (same as visiting friends, low to medium considering what they've been up to)
  • Visiting older family (low risk for you, much higher risk for them comparably)
    • for me it's:

    - ventilation
    - duration
    - proximity
    - vocalization

    the more an activity touches one of these things, the riskier it is

    - having a nice quiet picnic with your immediate family in a grassy field alone - zero risk

    - the dry bean saloon after a football game win - the highest risk
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    FlyRod
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    2:09p, 5/26/20
    Excellent points. I would add, for all indoor ventures, assessing crowd size might matter. When I'm running errands, if the crowds aren't light, I go elsewhere. Going to a store at opening time likely reduces the risk of that activity then going later in the day.
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    Pumpkinhead
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    2:22p, 5/26/20
    AG
    The Country that I live in, the government provided a 'risk grade level' for activities/locations...least to most risk of COVID contagion.

    Most risky on the list (#1) was visiting a hospital or health clinic. Least risky (last on the list) was being at home. And then there was the range of various activities in between.
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    Jbob04
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    2:34p, 5/26/20
    AG
    I haven't changed and won't change anything due to this. I go to work everyday, I go to stores, I go to restaurants, I visit with friends and family, I go to the baseball fields to play ball with my son and some of his friends.
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    CowboyGirl
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    2:49p, 5/26/20
    AG
    It's long, but here is an excellent article with info on what increases the chance of infection and which activities are most risky and why. TLDR version: it confirms what Cone listed above.

    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/coronavirus-covid19-exposure-risk-catching-virus-germs?fbclid=IwAR0ws0hGUYjp2VhWM0lMEyOCyXGYHntuMQUDB6amJcYQsyTnctIcmbaeDcI
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    Pumpkinhead
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    In reply to Jbob04 • 3:41p, 5/26/20
    AG
    Jbob04 said:
    I haven't changed and won't change anything due to this. I go to work everyday, I go to stores, I go to restaurants, I visit with friends and family, I go to the baseball fields to play ball with my son and some of his friends.
    I wish I could say this, but the country I live in is in a pretty strict lockdown, no stores, no restaurants. And its frustrating and I want to complain, but doctor who is a friend of my wife told her a couple of days ago that 80% of the hospital room capacity in the city where I live is currently allocated to COVID patients. 80%. And so despite my frustration with living in a lockdown, I bite my tongue, because its hard to try to downplay something that is taking up 80% of the hospital capacity.

    The government here is slowly beginning to reopen the economy regardless, because the they are trying to navigate through the growing economic problems vs. the COVID problem. The situation pretty much sucks all around.
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    agsalaska
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    In reply to cone • 3:44p, 5/26/20
    AG
    cone said:
    Quote:
  • Going to the store (pretty low risk, as long as you are masked up and moving and not chit chatting with strangers)
  • Bringing outside items into your house without sanitizing or letting sit out, whether groceries or other goods (i'm paranoid and used to this now, so i think it's pretty low risk but i still wipe things down for the most part)
  • Passing unmasked strangers at close distance, like on a trail/sidewalk or aisle at the store (low risk, almost everything outside with brief contact will be extremely low risk)
  • Hanging out in a friend's house but not hugging or getting super close (low risk, if you know what your friends habits have been since the initial outbreak. if it was a stranger's house, medium risk)
  • Letting small kids play with stuff other kids have been touching, like at a playground (low-medium risk - only reason medium is that trying to control kids is hard.)
  • Getting takeout (low low risk)
  • Going to a restaurant (medium risk - might be considered even high considering the spectrum of options we have already now. eating outside is much preferable)
  • Letting kids play with their friends (same as visiting friends, low to medium considering what they've been up to)
  • Visiting older family (low risk for you, much higher risk for them comparably)
    • for me it's:

    - ventilation
    - duration
    - proximity
    - vocalization

    the more an activity touches one of these things, the riskier it is

    - having a nice quiet picnic with your immediate family in a grassy field alone - zero risk

    - the dry bean saloon after a football game win - the highest risk


    How does the mask help you in a store?
    I don’t say this in a braggedocious way. But it’s true. I’ve been right about everything.

    -Donald J Trump
    -9/22/2025



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    KidDoc
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    3:46p, 5/26/20
    AG
    This is a nice article about risks:

    https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/23/861325631/from-camping-to-dining-out-heres-how-experts-rate-the-risks-of-14-summer-activit?fbclid=IwAR3yVK46inHWJZ9tFsIEZZ5Baf8JABsP3j_ZrYhG0LQehgUk-Wkp3dc4dlo
    No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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    revvie
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    4:08p, 5/26/20
    AG
    • Going to the store(only do ouside pickup which is low risk, go to small oudoor markets to get fresh vegetables, low risk)
    • Bringing outside items into your house without sanitizing or letting sit out, whether groceries or other goods( medium risk)
    • Passing unmasked strangers at close distance, like on a trail/sidewalk or aisle at the store( outside extremely low risk, aisle of store Medium risk)
    • Hanging out in a friend's house but not hugging or getting super close(low risk if I know their habits)
    • Letting small kids play with stuff other kids have been touching, like at a playground(medium to high risk)
    • Getting takeout(low risk)
    • Going to a restaurant(medium to high risk)
    • Letting kids play with their friends(medium to high risk)
    • Visiting older family( considering our kids jobs, very high risk)
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    Duncan Idaho
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    In reply to Pumpkinhead • 4:51p, 5/26/20
    Am I misunderstanding your post? It sounds like you are saying that despite knowing that your country's healthcare system is pretty damn close to being overrun, you wish they would loosen restrictions?
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    Duncan Idaho
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    In reply to Jbob04 • 4:52p, 5/26/20
    Jbob04 said:
    I haven't changed and won't change anything due to this. I go to work everyday, I go to stores, I go to restaurants, I visit with friends and family, I go to the baseball fields to play ball with my son and some of his friends.

    Good for you I guess but this has nothing to do with the op question.
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    agsalaska
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    In reply to Duncan Idaho • 4:54p, 5/26/20
    AG
    Duncan Idaho said:
    Am I misunderstanding your post? It sounds like you are saying that despite knowing that your country's healthcare system is pretty damn close to being overrun, you wish they would loosen restrictions?
    He said allocated, not used.
    I don’t say this in a braggedocious way. But it’s true. I’ve been right about everything.

    -Donald J Trump
    -9/22/2025



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    Jbob04
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    In reply to Duncan Idaho • 4:57p, 5/26/20
    AG
    Duncan Idaho said:
    Jbob04 said:
    I haven't changed and won't change anything due to this. I go to work everyday, I go to stores, I go to restaurants, I visit with friends and family, I go to the baseball fields to play ball with my son and some of his friends.

    Good for you I guess but this has nothing to do with the op question.


    [We don't want the disrespectful postings. Take a time out. - Staff]
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    Pumpkinhead
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    In reply to Duncan Idaho • 5:54p, 5/26/20
    AG
    Duncan Idaho said:
    Am I misunderstanding your post? It sounds like you are saying that despite knowing that your country's healthcare system is pretty damn close to being overrun, you wish they would loosen restrictions?
    I have been living under a really strict lockdown for about 10 weeks now, only allowed to leave my residential street for 6 hours per weeks, etc. So my emotions are mixed at times. I no doubt got some 'Quarantine fatigue'. That said, as I said in my post, when 80% of the local hospital capacity is allocated to COVID, it is difficult to rant at the government for what has taken place. I get it. I'm frustrated with the situation, but I get it. At least where I live, this COVID thing looks like a legit serious problem.

    So, yes, I wish they would loosen restrictions, but I am not angry at the government for having put them in place, if that makes sense.

    They are between a rock and a hard place as many other countries, and now have been trying to slowly start reopening some of the economy while still trying to prevent a COVID spike.
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    Rachel 98
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    In reply to Pumpkinhead • 5:59p, 5/26/20
    AG
    Am I understanding you correctly that 80% of the hospital is currently occupied by COVID patients? Scary if so! Or are you saying that 80% of the hospital's capacity is set aside for COVID patients if needed but the actual % occupied by them at this point in time is less?
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    Pumpkinhead
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    In reply to Rachel 98 • 6:35p, 5/26/20
    AG
    Rachel 98 said:
    Am I understanding you correctly that 80% of the hospital is currently occupied by COVID patients? Scary if so! Or are you saying that 80% of the hospital's capacity is set aside for COVID patients if needed but the actual % occupied by them at this point in time is less?


    About 80% of total hospital beds for the city's main hospital that handles the Socialized part of the country's health care system are currently occupied with COVID patients, per a doctor friend of my wife. Not all ICU, but at least hospitalized and taking up a bed.

    I live in Panama, which is a mix of private and socialized health care. The private system primarily used by the middle and upper classes is in good shape, the health care there is very comparable in quality to the states, but the social security Hospital which is primarily used by The poorer classes is the one currently 80% full of COVID cases despite a strict quarantine that has been in place for a couple of months.

    It could be worse. Panama is pretty well run and a nice place to live. Some other Latin America countries like Brazil, Peru, Equador, etc. are in a lot worse shape.
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    Scotts Tot
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    In reply to CowboyGirl • 1:05p, 5/27/20
    AG
    Interesting read...thanks for sharing.

    The restaurant study, which I remember getting passed around quite a bit, presents an interesting parallel with what a typical meeting might look like in many workplaces that are now refilling with staff. The policy in my office is that masks must be worn in the hallways, elevators, or other common areas like the kitchen, but at meetings, when everyone has been seated at the requisite 6' spacing, masks can come off until everyone gets up to go back to their office. The assumption with this, as has been generally understood by most, is that if no one is within your 6' bubble, your risk of infection is essentially zero, even if you're in a confined indoor space with the same people for an hour or more.

    I think this goes further to the point of my OP, that businesses should be better informed on what situations present real risk, and which ones don't. If transfer from surfaces is less likely, having sanitizer stations everywhere might be less helpful than, say, having a maximum density of people per square foot in a conference room, or rethinking cubicle situations where several people might be sharing some of the same air all day even if they're sitting 10' apart.
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