“Outdoors reduces the risk, but as people are celebrating and drinking, it seems like they may not social distance as readily,” says Karan, the Harvard physician. “These types of events end up being large crowds where people are having extended face-to-face conversations.”
The larger the guest list, the greater the potential that one of them is infected, says Powers, the UNC epidemiologist.
What alters risk? The danger varies greatly depending on the size of the gathering and how closely people gather.
If you are considering hosting a celebration, make it a small one with mostly local guests. “Bringing people from other communities” is high risk, says Landon, of the University of Chicago. “If people have to travel by car, by plane, from other places, you’re really asking for it.”
And really think twice about inviting your relatives, particularly older family members or those with underlying conditions. People may feel pressure to attend, even though it’s hazardous to their health — and even more so if you emphasize that you’re going to try to make it safe, says Landon. One of the largest clusters of deaths from the virus in Chicago occurred after a funeral in which one of the attendees spread it to many of his family members.
6. Using a public restroom: low to medium risk
Restrooms have been designed to prevent disease transmission, says Landon: “There are all sorts of things that you can catch from other people’s poop, and you almost never do, because they’re set up with all hard surfaces that can be cleaned.”
The risk depends on the number of local COVID-19 cases and how clean the bathroom is, says Janowski of Washington University, noting that a bathroom involves multiple high-touch surfaces.
There isn’t yet sufficient data to know if there’s risk from toilet flushes aerosolizing the virus. Landon says that other viruses, such as norovirus, can be aerosolized by flushing, but norovirus doesn’t often spread that way as long as bathrooms are cleaned. The CDC says it’s “unclear whether the virus found in feces may be capable of causing COVID-19.”
What alters risk: Miller says the main risk comes from restrooms that are small, busy and poorly ventilated — like “those restrooms in a gas station off the highway where the restroom is outside.”
Choose a bathroom that looks clean and is well stocked with supplies such as paper towels, soap and toilet paper. Avoid bunching up in a line to use the toilet or staying there long, if you’re within 6 feet of others. Wash your hands after you go, and sanitize them if you need to touch any surfaces after that.
7. Letting a friend use your bathroom: low risk
Landon doesn’t think it’s a big risk: “What happens in the bathroom is going to be sucked out of the bathroom ventilation, and you can clean all the hard surfaces really easily.”
Miller agrees: “You can run the fan, leave the door open after (so air flows) and clean the bathroom later. And if you use the bathroom after they do, just wash your hands.”
|Keep Your Eyes on Your Prize:| Don’t let today’s darkness and chaos make you lose focus… Remember Your Purpose. Remember Your Goals. Keep Shining!
May 11, 2020–New Orleans
